


A Wolf's Cry

by ZekeFreek



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Hope's Peak AU, Other, Plot parallel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2018-11-17 06:32:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 62,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11269947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZekeFreek/pseuds/ZekeFreek
Summary: "The Monokuma Theatre Group is proud to present a grand stage play by the 79th Class of Hope's Peak Academy! Our story occurs in the fantastical kingdom of Saishuu, ruled by the industrious and beautiful Queen Kirumi. She ruled over her peaceful kingdom with her many court vassals, including the young Court Mage, Himiko, the heroine of our tale.Himiko lived a peaceful life as a mage in training with her childhood friend and loyal wolf familiar, Shuichi, who had aspirations of becoming the Court Detective one day. Things were at a time peaceful, but the tragic and unexpected death of the Court Minstrel set forth a series of mysterious events into motion.Rumors of a Thieves' Guild that lurks in the night, of an asssassin that plots to dethrone the beloved Queen. Of a necromancer toying with creating an artificial human...But it is the disappearance of Shuichi that drives the court into action. Himiko is tasked with gathering a party to locate her familiar and discover the plot for the Queen's life... a plot that may be coming from within their own ranks. A thrilling epic of adventure, intrigue romance and wit! We *hope* to see you there, puhuhu..."





	1. Peaceful Days

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: I HIGHLY recommend not reading this if you aren't fully spoiled on the actual plot of NDRV3. There will be many plot parallels and many character traits treated as spoilers in canon are common knowledge here. This is your warning.

**A Wolf’s Cry**

 

The audience murmurs in front of the darkened stage…

A light shines down on the stage from above…

Revealing the infamous and beloved mascot of Hope’s Peak Academy…

“Good day, students! Friends, enemies, and pesky tax collectors alike! The Monokuma Theatre Group is proud to present a stage production by the 79th Class of our own Hope’s Peak Academy!”, the charming monochrome bear shouted out to a round of respectful applause.

“But before we begin… a word of warning. Or rather, a question. You’ve all come out today to see a story unfold… a narrative progress, if you will. And you might get so invested in this story, you might start to believe it’s real”, he continued on.

“And you, who are sitting in a seat in front of a large stage… may be deceived into thinking the events unfolding are of a fictional nature. Events of no consequence, perhaps? But is that really the truth?”, Monokuma went on.

“Perhaps the fiction you are about to witness has more meaning than you think… that’s all I wanted to say”, he concluded. The audience murmured some more… clearly pondering the bear’s mysterious words.

“But enough of that! On with the show! We certainly _hope_ you enjoy the story our talented young students put together with their blood, sweat and tears!”, Monokuma finished as the light illuminating him suddenly shut off… and the sound of the curtain being raised filled the theatre.

 

**Chapter One**

**Peaceful Days**

 

It was as average a day in the Kingdom of Saishuu as any. The civilians toiled away with work and play, events occurred both good and bad, and large white clouds slowly strolled across a beautiful blue sky.

This peace could only have been brought about by the young and industrious Queen, who only recently took the throne after her father’s untimely demise. A death that shook the entire country to its core… were it not for the unparalleled efforts of the young heir to be.

Yes, Queen Kirumi worked tirelessly for the sake of her people. To prove herself just as capable a leader as her father before her. But such a task couldn’t be accomplished by her alone.

She had the support of her regal court. A collection of talented upstarts who acted as the Queen’s council and advisory. They acted alongside the more experienced civil servants of the previous era to solve all manner of social issues that arose in the kingdom.

And it would so happen that one of these court vassals is the heroine of our tale…

A girl of short-stature peacefully rested beneath the thick shade of a tall and proud tree. The tree resided in the massive garden estate of the royal palace, maintained by a competent Court Gardener.

The girl’s back fit snugly against the tree, covered by her black cloak. A staple of any Court Mage just as much as her prized witch’s hat. She snoozed soundly, without a care in the world… until…

Poke, poke.

Someone poked her cheek lightly.

She fidgeted slightly, trying to hide the fact she was awake.

The poking intensified.

“I know you’re awake”, a stoic voice declared. It wasn’t annoyed or anything, just stating a fact.

The girl moaned. Of course, she couldn’t hide from him.

She opened her eyes to see her familiar and friend staring back at her.

“I was having the nicest dream you know…”, she said, a tad bit agitated.

“Oh? What about?”, the boy asked, his long wolf tail twitching slightly.

“Well now I can’t remember, since you woke me so suddenly”, she said, trying to make him feel guilty. But he only smiled confidently.

“Then how do you know it was a nice dream?”, he asked poignantly.

She froze for a second. He got her.

Changing the subject, she shook her head, “A-Anyway, you should join me here Shuichi. The breeze is so relaxing today”, she said, patting the space beside her.

But Shuichi simply took her hand and hoisted her up on her feet.

“Hey, you’ve had enough relaxing for now. You’re late for your training”, he said sternly. Training in this case referred to magical training and study, for she was after all, the Court Mage… in training.

The girl scoffed, “When did my familiar get so pushy?”, she wondered aloud.

Shuichi sighed, “The same moment my master became so lazy”, he answered.

The girl placed her hands on her hips and boasted proudly, “I-I’m not l-lazy! I’m just s-such a great mage that I don’t need such training! Haa…”. Well, she tried to maintain that air of competency, but fell short at the end.

“That’s for the magistrate to decide. Now come on. If you go, I’ll bake us something special later”, the boy promised candidly.

The girl put her finger to her lips as her mouth began to water.

“K-Ka… Karinto… I want karinto…”, she stammered out.

Shuichi nodded, “Yes yes, we will have karinto”, he agreed.

But before they could take a step away from the tree, a voice rang out from above.

“Aha! Sweets for the lovely and sweet Himiko! Now isn’t that a surprise?”, a coy tone played out. The pair looked above to find a garish figure, sitting casually on a tree branch high above.

“W-Were you watching me s-sleep!?”, Himiko stammered, embarrassed.

The male figure above let out a disgusted groan, “Huuuh? Why would I stare at your ugly face?”, he complained as he hopped down to the ground.

“Teehee… but that was just a joke, see?”, he said with a mischievous grin.

A cruel joke befitting the Court Jester.

“Grr… Kokichi, I am not in the mood for your jokes today!”, Himiko said in an annoyed tone. But this only made Kokichi more eager.

“Ah… and you were so peaceful a moment ago. But I was waiting for this scene right here. The familiar is so much more responsible than his master, and I find that highly amusing”, he said.

Sensing their apprehension, he quickly added, “Ah, but Shuichi does love to dote on you, doesn’t he? Maybe that’s why you two make such a good pair… hm…”. Himiko blushed slightly, looking aside.

“Tch… you only ever come around to play awful pranks or tease us. Don’t you have anything better to do?”, she said.

Kokichi only chuckled, “But pranks and teases are part and parcel for a jester like myself, no? And besides, it’s not just me. Everyone knows you two are inseparable”, he chided.

“W-Well… yeah! That’s only natural for a mage and her familiar”, she snapped back.

“Oh? But most mages have lots of different familiars, don’t they? But Himiko, you’ve only ever had Shuichi… could it be you’re not that good of a mage? Or is there another reason? Hm?”, Kokichi prodded further, taking a step towards the rustled girl.

Shuichi stepped between them. “Alright, well. It’s been as fun as always, but we really should be going”, he said with a sense of finality. Kokichi backed down.

“Heh, you’re fun in your own way, Shuichi. But it seems today you’re all business. You really should loosen up, you know. Or else she’ll never be satisfied…”, he continued cryptically as he skipped merrily away.

“A-And what’s that supposed to mean!?”, Himiko shouted after him to no avail.

Shuichi put a hand on her shoulder, “Leave him be. Come on, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can have karinto”, he said reassuringly.

The two walked off down a series of corridors, on their way to the magical training halls. As they traversed side by side, conversation naturally arose.

“I hate to agree with Kokichi… but you are acting really uptight today”, Himiko said, admiring a group of knights as they passed by.

Shuichi sighed. “You forgot, didn't you?”, he said with tinge of tiredness.

Himiko's eyes darted around nervously, “Uh oh… what did I forget?”, she asked, admitting to the possibility. Her familiar was very perceptive, so it was generally best to be honest.

“Your aptitude assessment is in two days. The magistrate is testing you on your progress as a mage. We don't want to disappoint them… again”, he explained, adding the last word for effect.

Himiko slowed her pace and sulked. “Aah… you're right. Their unsatisfied eyes were scary last time…”, she said, a chill running down her spine, reminding her of the time.

“That's why we're going to double our efforts today. We can't afford to keep disappointing them”, Shuichi declared.

“Heh… you're right, sorry…”, she said, looking at the ground.

Shuichi shook his head. “You don't have to apologize. Your troubles are my troubles, that's what our contract says. Besides, I still owe you a debt”, he assured her.

A debt… Himiko didn't like to admit it, but that debt was likely the reason they couldn't stand as true equals. But she hoped to change that.

“Shuichi…”, she murmured under her breath.

“Hm? What's wrong?”, he asked.

She shook her head… there was something she really wanted to ask… but for the time being decided against it.

“N-Nothing! I just wanted to say I'm going to do my best!”, she proclaimed half-heartedly.

His perceptive eyes didn't lie when he commented, “Is that so? That's good”. Something was bothering her, that much he could tell. He would've been a lousy familiar if he couldn't after all these years.

Yes, that incident years ago that bound them as master and retainer… that was the ‘debt’ of which he spoke. The debt that weighed down the young mage’s heart.

* * *

 

Kokichi sighed as he laid against the outer wall of the castle garden, arms poised behind his head casually. “Those two are so dishonest, in the worst ways”, he mumbled as he crossed his legs.

In front of his view was a large muscular figure, carefully examining a stag beetle as it crawled along a stick. “Gonta doesn’t understand… Kokichi is dishonest all the time, isn’t he?”, the figure spoke as he clipped at the hedges.

“How many times do I have to explain this to you? No good joke doesn’t involve misdirection”, Kokichi said in a dull tone, as if he’d said it a thousand times before.

“Gonta… still doesn’t understand”, the big man admitted with a sigh.

“And that’s why I like you, Gonta. If my jokes fly over your head, then it means you’re the only one I can be truly honest with, right?”, he replied jovially, his grinning face hiding a veneer of manipulation.

“Ah! So Kokichi is honest, then?”, Gonta asked sincerely.

“Yep. You got it, buddy”, he said, almost dismissively.

The wind blew slightly, ringing the bells on Kokichi’s jester cap.

“Still, things have been a little boring around here lately…”, he murmured to himself.

* * *

 

The usual court dinner went as it always did. The main table occupied by important guests and officials, headed by the Queen and her closest advisor, the Court Tailor, Tsumugi.

The side tables were where the Court Vassals ate, most nights. Which was fine by them. Most of them weren’t suited to the kind of politics that went on at the main table, not yet anyway.

Himiko dropped her fork as her hands trembled. “D-D-Dammit….”, she cursed under her chattering teeth. Her latest attempt at a freezing spell had backfired on her, leaving her in a state of impractical coldness.

“It still hasn’t worn off?”, her familiar asked, putting down his own fork.

Himiko pulled her hat over her face and wrapped her arms around herself. “N-No… not yet…”, she admitted. It had been an otherwise fruitful day of magical practice. But she was not very adept at ice magic.

Shuichi sighed and took her hands.

“W-Wha?”, she gasped.

He put her hands together and rubbed them with his own.

“Does this help?”, he asked.

“Uh… yeah, thank you”, she said, biting her lip. Not just her hands, but her entire being was feeling warmer.

“What’s this? Doting on the lazy little mage so loyally, Shuichi?”, came a mocking voice from above. The pair glanced to see Kokichi approaching, riding on Gonta’s shoulder like a little kid.

“A-Atleast I can w-walk for myself!”, Himiko shot back, her teeth chattering somewhat.

“Wha? You don’t mind, do you, Gonta?”, he asked with a concerned expression.

“Of course not! Kokichi is Gonta’s friend! So he doesn’t mind at all!”, the tall figure exclaimed jovially. Just then, Kokichi dropped down and swiped a biscuit off Himiko’s plate and shoved in his mouth joyously.

“H-Hey!”, Himiko protested, but didn’t move her hands from Shuichi’s grasp.

“You’re so vulnerable, you know. Is this why you need so much doting?”, Kokichi said with his mouth full.

“Kokichi… That wasn’t very nice”, Gonta said, looking disappointed.

“No no, Gonta! It was a joke, you see?”, the boy argued.

“Ah. A joke! I see. Then it’s fine!”, Gonta said without a care.

“A joke is usually funny”, Shuichi commented with a stern expression.

“I’m having fun. Isn’t that right, Gonta?”, Kokichi retorted.

“Yes! Kokichi is having fun! Therefore it was funny!”, Gonta said in complete obliviousness.

Shuichi sighed. Gonta would always see the best in someone, even if they were dragging him alone on a string. It was then that subtle music began to fill the hall. The group turned their heads to the source, except for Kokichi who was uninterestedly flicking peas at the other people in the hall.

The Court Minstrel had begun playing the piano in the distance. Swift and soft notes flowed from one end of the hall to the other in a rhythmic pleasure. Her blond hair swayed slightly in the breeze of an open window. Himiko couldn’t help but grit her teeth.

It’s not that she disliked Kaede, the minstrel, per se. She was as upbeat and kind a person as one could ask for. It was just that…

She turned to look at her familiar, who was already intently staring in the minstrel’s direction. It was usually like this whenever that girl was around and it made a rush of jealousy burn through the young mage. But this time was different.

“Shuichi… my hands are still cold”, she lied. Her hands were back to normal already but she just wanted more of his attention.

“Huh? Still?”, he said in surprise, taking her hands once more.

“They don’t feel cold…”, he said.

“T-They do to me though… but this helps”, she said, tightening her hold on his hands. This time was a bit more embarrassing however, considering her hands were actually fine. Feeling the warmth of his hands while hers were normal was…

Her whole body went stiff as she just stared forward blankly. She had asked for this, but perhaps it was a bit too much?

Shuichi leaned in closer, “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You’re not getting a fever are you?”, he asked. It was a reasonable assumption to make.

“N-No! I’m fine… j-just the effects of the ice m-magic”, she stammered out, her face flushed.

“Hm. This seems more serious than I thought? Maybe you should go lie down?”, he suggested in concern.

For a variety of reasons, Himiko wanted nothing more than to leave this hall.

“U-Uh… yeah! I- W-We should. Let’s go, Shuichi”, she said, jolting up to her feet like a spring snapped back. Confused and still holding her hand, Shuichi was dragged along by his young master out of the hall.

The gentle giant and the impish jester were left alone at the table.

“Gonta sure hopes she’s okay”, Gonta said in a low voice.

“Oh, she’s fine. Though not as clever as she thinks”, Kokichi said, balancing a spoon on his face.

“What do you mean?”, Gonta asked.

The boy smirked.

“If she doesn’t reign in that jealousy, someone might really take him away…”, the boy said ominously.

* * *

 

The pair returned to the humble lodgings afforded to them by the kingdom. A cozy two-bedroom suite in the lower levels of the palace, with a small living area is the middle between them.

As soon as they entered, Himiko tripped over a scroll left haphazardly on the ground. Shuichi dove forward to catch her, wrapping his arms around her stomach. “Aah!”, she let out a little jolted yell.

“Woah, are you okay?”, Shuichi said with concern, his voice more shrill than usual. Himiko quickly leapt forward, too embarrassed to be that close. “Y-Yeah! Everything’s fine!”, she said. She briefly wondered why everything was conspiring both with and against her simultaneously today.

Shuichi stood up straight and let out a small cough, not completely un-embarrassed himself, it would seem. “Well… maybe some hot tea would help?”, he suggested, changing the subject.

Himiko stammered out, “S-Sure…”. Truthfully, she wasn’t really in the mood for it, but anything to keep up the charade, right? As he was off making tea, the young mage fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat.

She had put herself in a precarious situation. Well, she wanted his attention and she most definitely had it. She was a little too distraught to tell if she regretted these actions.

But still… there had been a question burning in her mind lately.

Most familiars were conjured from natural materials, or summoned from another plane and then tamed. Shuichi wasn’t like those familiars however… he had once been as human as she was.

The orphanage where they grew up… the mysterious fire that had one day engulfed it… and the girl who used magic far beyond her level to save the life of the quiet boy who always kept to himself and read books.

The desperate ritual had transformed the dying boy into the wolf familiar she knew now. It wasn’t long after that her feat caught the attention of the Palace Magistrate, who brought them both under their tutelage.

They had stuck together ever since that day. And the quiet boy became her loyal familiar, aiding her in her magical studies. But lately she had began to wonder…

He walked over and handed her a warm cup of tea.

She hesitantly reached out and took it. She didn’t sip right away, she knew it’d be too hot. Shuichi sat opposite her, taking a sip from his own cup. He glanced over in the direction of a book on the table but once he saw the expression on his master’s face, he forgot about it completely.

“You shouldn’t make a face like that. You did well today, all things considered”, he said, trying to cheer her up. It might’ve worked too, if that was what was actually bothering her.

Himiko swallowed her anxiety… and a large quantity of hot tea, which she immediately regretted and stared at her familiar in the eyes. “Shuichi… you wouldn’t lie to me, right?”, she said out of the blue.

The boy’s ears twitched as he leaned back in surprise. “Aah! I should think not… I don’t make a habit of lying in general…”, he said, a little unnerved.

Himiko stared down into her now half-empty… or perhaps half-full, cup of tea. “I w-was just wondering…”, she began nervously.

“Would you still be here if you weren’t my familiar?”, she asked directly.

Shuichi held a clenched fist to his chin, a clear sign that he was deep in thought.

“Well… I wouldn’t be anywhere at all if I wasn’t your familiar so…”, he began, his voice wavering from surprise.

“Nya! You know what I mean! Or… I hope you do…”, Himiko responded, a little peeved.

“A-Are you perhaps… asking if I like you?”, Shuichi murmured, probably not intending to say that out loud.

“U-Uh! I m-mean, t-that’s not it exactly…”, she stammered out, “W-What I m-mean is… that is t-to say… moreover… I g-guess I’m asking if you’re… ya know… happy?”, she concluded in a rush of embarrassment.

Shuichi dropped his hand and chuckled a bit.

“Oh, is that all?”, he began, “I live a peaceful life in a royal palace as the familiar of a promising mage. I have good friends here, am well-fed and have access to one of the largest libraries in the world… and I owe this life to you, Master… So yeah, I’d say I’m pretty happy”, he finished with a small smile.

For the first time all night, Himiko’s shoulders relaxed. Shuichi picked up the book from the table and began flipping through it. “Hm, you sure worry about strange things, Himiko”, he said aloud.

The two exchanged idle conversation until the young mage was tired enough to be carried to her room. After which, Shuichi left their domicile for the hallways of the palace, to return the book he had finished to the court library.

It wasn’t until he was halfway there that he felt a dark presence. He turned around quickly, but saw nobody in the darkness. It had only been for a moment, but he swore he sensed someone. Being a wolf familiar heightened his awareness of dangerous things. He kept his guard up as he traversed the palace halls.

What he didn’t see was the cloaked figure stalking the rooftops amidst the moonlight… watching… waiting.

**Chapter One**

**END**


	2. The Vanishing Glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back. Sorry this update took awhile. Hope to write more frequently in the future. Please enjoy. Also +5 points to you if you get the title reference.

**Chapter Two**

**The Vanishing Glass**

Kaede sprinted through the halls of the royal palace at a steady but cautious pace, stacks of sheet music filling the space between her arms, clenched against her chest. There wasn’t much time to waste. An important Duke from a neighboring kingdom had announced a surprise visit that night. 

She had to decide what pieces to entertain the Duke’s entourage and practice them diligently. As the Court Minstrel, this kind of thing was her duty. And she couldn’t disappoi--

Her train of thought was interrupted as she abruptly crashed into a large hard surface and fell back onto the floor, papers spilling every which way. As she rubbed her head, a large hand extended in her direction, “Oh no! Gonta is so sorry! He should’ve watched where he was going!”, the mammoth figure declared.

Kaede shook her head rapidly as she started frantically picking up sheet music off the floor. “Nonono! It’s entirely my fault! I was in a hurry and didn’t pay attention… heh, that’s the only way I could miss you, Gonta”, she apologized in a heightened tone.

“Here, Gonta will assist you”, he said as he bent down and started gathering papers himself. As soon as he did, Kaede saw the figure sitting casually on top of a window ledge behind Gonta. The Court Jester, Kokichi was sitting there, pretending to care how well-trimmed his nails were.

Kaede puffed out her cheeks and called out, “You know, I’d appreciate your help too, Kokichi”. She knew it was a futile effort, but felt the need to assert herself. Kokichi, predictably, gave her an aside glance while crossing his arms.

“I don’t recall bumping into you… don’t really see how that’s my problem. Besides, I’m bust helping Gonta right now”, he said dismissively.

“Helping Gonta with what, exactly?”, Kaede asked, noting his casual demeanor and lack of any… activity to speak of. Gonta spoke up after stacking some papers together in a neat pile.

“Oh! Kokichi is helping Gonta search for Edo!”, he declared, handing the stack to Kaede, who raised an inquisitive eyebrow. 

“Edo? Who is Edo?”, she inquired, her tone as inquisitive as her eyebrow.

Gonta held out his hands together in a vague shape, “Edo is a Stag Beetle that Gonta has been studying. Normally Gonta keeps him in a glass box by his window, but now Edo has gone missing”, he explained.

“Ah, that's right. You like bugs don't you?”, Kaede said rhetorically, still pushing papers together. 

“Yes! Gonta tends to the gardens, so he gets to see lots of bugs. They're really very interesting!” Gonta proclaimed. 

Kokichi hopped off the window-sill and causally floundered over to them. “All that being said, we shouldn't bother the lady with this. She seems busy enough as it is… hm?”, he said. 

Kokichi turned his head down to notice he had stepped on a piece of sheet music. He bent down to pick it up, gazing at it with mild intrigue. 

“Well, this is an interesting piece”, he said almost sarcastically.

Kaede peered over his shoulder. “Huh. Clair de Lune? It is beautiful… but it's far too somber for a lively party”, she commented, snatching it away from him. 

She returned her attention to Gonta with a confident gaze. “But you know, if something’s gone missing, there's only one person you should rely on for that”, she declared enthusiastically.

* * *

 

It was high noon by the time shimmers of light flowed through the thick curtains of the Court Mage’s abode. Said mage in question still wrapped snugly in a blanket on her wall-mounted bunk. 

When the wolf familiar entered his master's room, he saw exactly what he expected to. His master still soundly asleep, her cloak and hat thrown on a hook to the side. That being said, even this was a little late for her to be sleeping still.

The floor was covered by a thick black carpet, bearing a large white magic circle, its design quite complex. It wasn't uncommon for magic-users to have this sort of thing made for rituals that needed to be routinely performed. 

Towards the back of the room was a workbench stacked with tomes and scrolls. To the side was a collection of various cages holding many pigeons. They came in handy for various magical purposes. 

Shuichi bent down and gently shook his master's shoulder, “Himiko… it's nearly noon”, he said calmly. This was pretty normal for her. Groggily, she turned over.

Her eyes opened slightly, but couldn't seem to adjust to the light or focus on the figure in front of her. Her eyes closed once more as she fell back down to her pillow. “Nyaa… five more minutes…”, she mumbled. 

Shuichi gave a soft chuckle, “I'll give you ten. But if you're not up by then, I might actually be disappointed in you”, he said. Himiko reached a hand out and lightly scratched his wolf ears.

“Nyaa… you're the best”, she murmured, still half-asleep. The boy had a sheepish smile on his face as he turned to feed the pigeons.

As he did, he gazed down at the carpet with the magic circle, feeling a familiar yet strange emptiness in his chest. “Tonight… we should perform a transfer tonight”, he said aloud. 

The young mage’s heart skipped a beat. But it couldn't be helped. That was part of possessing a familiar. The transference of mana. Regular exchange of mana from the Mage to the Familiar was essential to keep their connection strong. To keep the familiar bound to their master. 

Most familiars were single use, or only required a very occasional supply of mana to function. But as in so many other ways, Shuichi was different. 

A human familiar is extremely costly to the Mage it is bound to. Not only did they need to transfer mana on a near weekly basis, but the ritual was very taxing on the young mage’s stamina.

This was in part, the reason Himiko had no other familiars under her command. The other part was… well, more personal.

Speaking of which, the transference ritual was… surprisingly intimate when performed with a human familiar. It was one of those things that always seemed more embarrassing before doing it than it actually was when it happened. 

A few minutes later Himiko slowly sat up and stretched, yawning softly. Shuichi couldn’t help but blush slightly. She really was like a small cat sometimes. Still in her pajamas, she reached for her cloak and wrapped it around herself loosely. 

“If we have to perform the ritual tonight, we can forget about training. I need to conserve mana”, she said, adjusting her newly mounted hat. Shuichi shrugged and nodded, though he wished she wasn’t quite so enthusiastic about slacking off, she was ultimately right. Nothing to be done about it.

“You could atleast review the books”, he suggested.

“Nyaa… when it comes to slacking off, you can’t just half-ass it, Shuichi”, she said dismissively.

“There’s some irony there I’m not sure was intentional…”, he commented, feeding the last of the pigeons. Just as he was about to reach for a drawer to put away the feed, the young mage stopped him. 

“Wait, don't. You can just leave it out”, she said. 

Shuichi shrugged and left the feed on the desk. It wasn't anything worth questioning. He turned to face his master, “Well that aside, is there anything you'd like to do today?”, he asked casually. 

Himiko was about to answer when there was a sudden knocking sound from outside the bedroom. That was curious. Their domicile was tucked away from anywhere else of interest in the palace. 

It wasn't somewhere you'd just stumble upon. And they didn't usually get visitors. Someone had specifically come to see them, for some purpose. 

That was Shuichi’s train of thought at that moment. “I’ll get the door”, he stated blankly, walking out into the main room. As he pulled open the door, it revealed two figures standing in the hall outside. One rather tell, the other less-so.

“Ah! Good morning, Shuichi!”, an upbeat voice said.

“Yes! Hello!”, a more resonant voice declared behind the first.

The Minstrel and Gardener of the Court were standing before him.

“Um, yeah. Good morning to you both”, he said, somewhat unnerved. To most people around the palace, he was simply the familiar of a mage in training. Although he was on friendly terms with many of the Court Vassals, it wasn’t often that they sought him out specifically.

His master being fairly low-key all things considered, it wasn’t often he was greeted by such upbeat and forward personalities so early in the day. As such, there was an air of shyness about him.

“So, d-did you need something from us? We don’t usually get visitors”, Shuichi said aloud, wondering afterward if that was too demanding.

“Gonta was wondering if Shuichi has seen Edo”, Gonta said bluntly.

“Edo?”, he remarked in confusion.

“Edo is a stag beetle. Gonta’s… pet, I guess? We’ve been looking for him”, Kaede took over and explained.

“I can’t say I have… although I haven’t wandered very far lately”, he admitted.

“Well, we were actually wondering if you could help us look for him. Word around the palace is, you’re the person to see about missing things”, Kaede said.

It was true that Shuichi had developed something of a reputation for solving little mysteries around the palace. A lost cat, some lost keys, tracking down overdue books and figuring out who really did take the last slice of pie. Things of that nature.

Well, it wasn’t like he had much else to do today.

“Um… yeah, I guess I could help with that”, he began sheepishly, “Why don’t you come inside and tell me what happened?”, he suggested, leading them inside the living space.

They took seats opposite him across a table and Gonta began to explain. 

“Gonta went to water the gardens in the east wing a little after sunrise. And when he returned, Edo was not in his tank”, he said.

“Tank?”, Shuichi inquired.

“Yes! Gonta keeps Edo in a bug tank! It’s a glass box with dirt, grass, rocks and sticks! Gonta keeps it by his window so the grass will grow!”, he answered enthusiastically. 

“Interesting, and how long would you say you were gone?”, Shuichi asked.

“Uh… Gonta not sure… maybe half an hour”, he answered, less enthusiastically.

Half an hour… a lot of things could’ve happened in that timeframe. That was Shuichi’s train of thought at that moment.

“But Gonta keeps the tank locked. And Gonta had the key with him the whole time. That is what confuses Gonta the most”, he continued. 

“You keep it locked?”, Shuichi inquired for clarification. 

“Yes. The lid to the tank has two clasps. Gonta needs to unlock both to lift the lid”, he answered, scratching his head and pulling a key from his pocket. 

“Hm. I'll need to take a look at the tank itself”, Shuichi said. 

“Of course! Gonta will show you the way!”, Gonta declared. It was then that the young mage entered the main living area from her bedroom, better dressed for the day. 

“Shuichi… I was wondering-- What's going on?”, Himiko asked, looking perplexed at their company. 

“Shuichi is helping us find Gonta’s missing pet”, Kaede said, giving the Mage a friendly smile. Himiko glanced aside… why did she have to do that. 

“Nyaa… but our lazy day…”, she whined, looking at her familiar with big guilt-tripping eyes. 

“I mean… I'll stay if you really want”, Shuichi said, feeling a bit embarrassed. 

Himiko shook her head, “No… it's.... it's fine”, she said. Shuichi could tell something was still bothering her.

“You don't have to come if you don't want”, he told her. Himiko took a quick glance at the blond girl, who was eyeing  _ her  _ familiar with some kind of friendly admiration. 

Himiko pulled her hat down over her face. “No, I'll come with”, she said with conviction. 

“Well that settles it. Let's get going!”, Kaede said, leading the boys out the door. Himiko followed behind, eyeing the girl suspiciously. 

That… brazen minstrel had better not get too close to  _ her  _ familiar… the young mage swore then and there she would not let that happen.

* * *

 

Gonta's room was dusty and antiquated, much like an old library. Also like a library were the large number of thick books lying around. Most were about plants and insects, but there were some novels about as well. 

When the group arrived, they found Kokichi lounging casually on Gonta's bed as if he owned the place, reading a book that looked far more complicated than anything Gonta would own. 

“I'm just gonna say this now” Kaede said aloud, staring at the nonchalant boy with a disapproving scowl, “I'm already pretty sure Kokichi is responsible”, she finished. 

Shuichi sighed. He didn't like jumping to conclusions, but it wasn't unusual for Kokichi to pull stunts like this. “We’ll see”, he said. 

“Aw… that's no fair, Kaede. I've been a good boy today. Good enough for a pat and a treat, I’d say”, Kokichi said, not taking his eyes off the book. 

Shuichi’s tail stiffened in embarrassment as he bit his lip. “A-Anyway… that's look around”, he said, changing the subject. Gonta pointed forward. 

“There is the tank”, he stated. 

Shuichi took a quick look at the glass box. It was large enough to take up the whole table across the window. In fact, it blocked the window from view entirely as if it were part of the wall. 

Sure enough, the box contained plenty of dirt and twigs but no beetles whatsoever. Speaking of dirt, they couldn't help but notice that the glass walls hadn't been cleaned in awhile. 

Just as he told them, the lid was secured tight by two locks. Gonta showed off the key and explained it was the only one. 

“So what do you think, Shuichi?”, Kaede asked, poking her head around the corner of the box as he gazed in from the side. 

“Hm… something's off here. Look closely at the front panel from the side”, he said. Everyone huddled around the sides to gaze inside. The young mage attempted to slide in beside her familiar, but Gonta got there first. 

That was fine. Probably. 

“Ah! The front panel is… clean?” Kaede exclaimed. Shuichi nodded. 

“From the front, it looks just as dirty, because the light reflects the dirt from the other sides”, Shuichi explained.

“But how would someone clean the inside without opening the box?”, Gonta asked, scratching his head. 

“And why would they bother cleaning it in the first place?”, Kaede pondered, crossing her arms.

Shuichi was about to respond when he heard a soft crunching noise beneath his feet as he stepped to the side. Kneeling down, he glanced under the table. 

There was a bunch of broken glass tucked away underneath the table. It looked like one of the glass panels had broken but…

“Huh? But none of them are broken…”, Himiko said, looking back at the tank. 

“Maybe they broke one of the panels and then replaced it with another one?”, Kaede suggested. 

But Shuichi noticed something else under the table that made him doubt that. 

“That's not a bad thought… but I think it's more like this”, he said, grabbing the edge of the table and pulling it away from the wall. 

Gonta gasped.

“So one of the was broken!” he proclaimed. 

Moving the table revealed that the back panel of the tank was missing entirely. Or rather, it was now in a hundred pieces under the table.

“I think I get it now”, Shuichi began, “They broke the front panel, took the bug out, swept the glass under the table, then turned the entire table around, pushing the tank against the window so it would appear as if all four sides were intact”, he explained. 

“Wow… how did you figure out they turned the table around?”, Kaede asked excitedly. 

“From the underside, I could see a drawer, and from my perspective, it was facing the wrong way”, he answered. 

Out of curiosity, Shuichi opened the drawer, only to find a single scrap of paper that read ‘The Witch Did It”. 

Shuichi turned the paper towards the others. “Master… what’s the meaning of this?”, he asked sincerely. 

Himiko took a step back and stammered, “W-Wha!? I d-didn’t do it! Kokichi is just trying to frame me!”. 

Kokichi sighed and closed his book. “Please, if I wanted to frame you for something, I could do it with more finesse than this”, he moaned. 

“That being said, yes, I did leave the note”, he added with a grin. 

“So you knew who did it from the start?”, Gonta asked, sounding disappointed. 

“Yep!” Kokichi replied eagerly. 

“B-But… you said you had no idea!”, Gonta said. 

“Ah… that was just a joke, Gonta”, he said dismissively. 

“Oh. Okay! It was all a joke! Haha!”, Gonta stated happily. 

“Why are we acting like this is decided!?” the young mage retorted.

“Kokichi… how exactly do you know she did it?”, Shuichi asked directly. He didn't want to doubt his master without evidence. 

“I saw her do it. She was up here this morning. I saw her come in this room after Gonta left. I didn't think much of it until I heard the glass break”, Kokichi began explaining.

“I entered the room to see what happened, but she had already dove under the bed. I guess she heard me coming”, he continued.

Glancing at her, he added, “I bet you thought I didn't notice you, but your pointy boots were poking out, dummy”. She bit her lip, unamused. He chuckled. 

“I left the door open and hopped on the bed myself, pretending not to notice the pile of broken glass under the table. She crawled out of the room while I was pretending to read”, he went on. 

“Sometime later, Gonta came back and pretended I didn't see anything. My little joke, heh”, he finished. 

“He’s lying through his teeth Shuichi! There's no way I'd be up that early in the first place!”, Himiko protested. 

Kaede sighed, “She's almost proud of that…”, she murmured. 

“It's quite the account, but if it's only you, it's not really proof”, Shuichi said, resting his fingers under his chin. 

“See? That's my familiar! He'd never doubt me!”, Himiko stated with confidence. 

“That being said…”, Shuichi said, “Something doesn't add up... “.

“Ah! Could it be something about a spare drawer?”, Kokichi blurted out with a wide grin. 

“S-Spare drawer?”, Himiko stuttered, taking a step back. 

“Yeah. I heard her mumble something about it from the doorway. I bet that's where she'd have hidden Gonta's bug!”, Kokichi concluded.

“Edo is stuffed in a drawer!?”, Gonta exclaimed in shock. 

Shuichi looked at his master with disappointment. “Could it be… that drawer you didn't want me to open before?”, he asked solemnly. 

Himiko fidgeted about and pushed her index fingers together nervously before stammering out, “O-Okay… Yeah, it was me…”.

“B-But why?”, Kaede asked, surprised by the sudden confession. 

“Do… you actually hate bugs that much!?”, Gonta shouted, visibly upset.

“N-No! Nothing like that at all…”, the young mage spat out defensively. Her eyes darted away from her confused and disappointed familiar.

“So why then? You're not the type of person to break other people's things…”, Shuichi asked, feeling a bit disillusioned.

Himiko pulled her hat down over her face, embarrassed to say this in front of the others. “I… I wanted to give you a mystery to solve… since you like this sort of thing…”, she admitted. 

“Y-You never look happier than when you're puzzling something out… I g-guess I just wanted to give you that feeling today”, she said, blushing slightly. 

Shuichi sighed and bit his lip. 

“Well… I guess I can appreciate your intent but…”, he started before approaching her. He poked her hard in the forehead. 

“But you shouldn't inconvenience other people like that”, he warned.

“Nyaaa! I get it! I'm sorry!”, she yelped as he held her off-balance. 

“Now you should go give Edo back”, Shuichi said sternly. The young mage complied, backing into the hallway… but there was a… sadness in her stride. 

Once she was far enough away, Kokichi scoffed.

“Tch… That was heartless, Shuichi”, he taunted. Shuichi turned his head to the boy on the bed, who was crossing his arms in disappointment. 

“What do you mean?”, he inquired directly.

“You failed our little game. I'm not terribly surprised, but I bet she's not taking it well”, Kokichi said with a nonchalant yawn. 

“Game? What game?, Kaede asked, confused. 

“I guess I can tell you now that it's over…”, Kokichi said with a heavy sigh. “Truth is, everything happened the opposite of what I said”, he admitted. 

“Wait… what?”, Shuichi said, his mouth agape.

“I was the one who broke the glass and took the bug. And it was her who walked in on me”, he confessed. 

“Wait… so now it was Kokichi? Gonta doesn’t get it…”, Gonta said, clearly not getting it. 

“But I gave her the bug and told her to hide it. We set up this little test you see, because I was curious…”, Kokichi went on, his tone getting more dejected by the word.

“Curious about what?, Kaede asked. 

“About his much he really trusts his master”, he answered, pointing an accusatory finger at Shuichi.

“W-Wha…? Of course I trust her!”, Shuichi retorted. How could he not? She saved his life all those years ago. And they'd been partners ever since. 

“Yet you believed my story without much argument. Yeah, she played along with it, but I can't help but think you would've kept questioning us if you really trusted her”, Kokichi explained. 

Shuichi felt a pit form in his stomach. He had failed, both as an enthusiast detective and as her familiar… and that stung badly. 

“D-Dammit… I just…”, Shuichi stuttered, frozen in place… until someone gave him a shove.

“What are you waiting for? You can't just stand here knowing that!”, Kaede said with a determined expression.

It was like her to push other people into action when they felt down. 

“R-Right!”, Shuichi declared, shaking himself out of it. He bolted out the door and ran as fast as he could down the hallway. 

He couldn't accept this! He had to make things clear to her!

* * *

 

Shuichi nearly tripped over himself as he dashed through the halls of the palace. If there was one advantage his wolf-like body gave him, it was the ability to sprint like few humans could. 

Why had he been so willing to accept her confession without hesitation? It wasn't because he wanted her to be guilty, that was for sure. But then, what was it?

It didn't take him long to reach their abode, but with the thoughts racing through his mind, it felt like it took far longer. He nearly fell over as he pushed the door open. 

“M-Master!”, he shouted as he burst into the main room. And there she was, in mid-step towards her own room, so startled by his sudden entrance that she tripped over backwards. 

He dashed forward with the kind of speed only a wolf could muster and caught her in his arms. 

“W-Whaat is it!?”, she stuttered, fidgeting in his arms, still shocked to see him. 

“Kokichi told me everything… he told me everything and…”, Shuichi began, before clearing his throat. “L-Look, I'm sorry I thought it was you…”, he admitted. 

Himiko’s eyes grew in surprise. She didn't expect the Jester to tell him everything so soon. 

“B-But it wasn't like I wanted to think you would do something like that! I… I g-guess I was just touched by your reasons…”, he stammered, unsure of what he was trying to say. 

“I w-was disappointed t-that you'd break Gonta's things like that, sure but… I guess a p-part of me thought it was um… sweet of you to set up a mystery for me”, Shuichi went on, rambling as he went. 

Being direct like this was difficult.

“S-So… that's why I accepted your confession like I did… I'm sorry”, he finished with a heavy sigh. Suddenly she reached up and scratched his wolf ear gently. 

“Nyaa… You don't have to apologize. It wasn't fair of me to trick you like that…”, she said with a warm smile. 

“And besides… I did hide the bug. So I'm not completely innocent either. Weeding out the accomplice is pretty detective-like, right?”, she reassured him. 

He let out a small laugh at that and helped his master to her feet. He was glad she didn't think any less of him for failing the test. 

They took the beetle from the spare drawer, who was unharmed, of course. Shuichi carried it in the insistence of his master, who was still grossed out by the first time she carried it. 

When they returned to Gonta’s room, they witnessed a very peculiar sight. Kaede was sitting on top of Kokichi, holding him down while Gonta held a large feather to his now bare feet.

“Apologize to Gonta!”, she demanded, pushing his shoulders down. 

“Aaaagh… you're so heavy! You should really watch those sweets ya know!”, Kokichi taunted as he wriggled around, trying to break free.

“T-There’s nothing wrong with me!”, Kaede stammered, “I'm o-only 35kg!”, she insisted, becoming flustered.

“That's an obvious lie!”, he screamed as Gonta started tickling his feet with the feather. 

“Aaah… haha… ahaha! S-Stop it G-Gonta! It was j-just a joooooke!”, he bellowed, wriggling about even harder. 

Gonta was about to continue, but stopped when he saw his beloved pet had returned. “Edo!”, he cried, leaping over and snatching the beetle out of Shuichi’s hands. 

Gonta gently placed the bug back inside the glass tank and pushed it against the wall. “It is alright now. The window is just as good as a fourth wall for now”, he declared happily. 

And so it was. 

Kaede eventually gave up trying to make Kokichi apologize and they both went their ways. She thanked Shuichi for his help before saying she had other things to take care of. 

On their way back to their abode, Himiko let out a long yawn. “Well that's one way to start the day…”, she mumbled with a tired expression. 

Shuichi pondered this for a moment before commenting, “I guess the only mystery left is what you were doing up that early…”. He smirked with satisfaction.

Himiko was taken aback, “Aaah… you remembered that… well, you know,  a mage must have their secrets…”, she said, trying to avoid the subject. 

“You know, I think I saw a tome on your desk that wasn't there before… could it be you were off studying in secret?”, he suggested. 

Himiko stopped in her tracks. “Nyaa! You're mistaken, Shuichi! It's n-not like that!”, she snapped. 

“Is my lazy master working hard behind my back? That's not fair, you know, I'd like to see this effort too”, he went on, trying to incite some guilt in her. 

“Nyaa! You're wrong, Shuichi! You're an awful detective with lousy deductions! I-I’m the laziest mage there is! In f-fact, I'm gonna take a nap right now!”, she said, dashing off.

He followed her with ease, “You sure you're not just trying to hide that book?”, he asked jovially. 

“Nyaa! I'm telling you it's not like that!”, she cried as she tried to keep ahead of him. 

Really, just an ordinary morning to an ordinary day… or so they thought. 

**END OF CHAPTER TWO**


	3. Ultimatum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again, things are gonna start to ramp up soon. Remember to leave feedback if you enjoy the fic.

**Chapter 3**

**Ultimatum**

Deep in the sewers of the capital city, there lay a lowly den of thieves and outcasts. Frequented by the downtrodden and criminal alike. They had managed to stay hidden away from prying eyes for many years. Naturally they took their security very seriously. 

It wasn’t unusual that an intruder had been caught sneaking into the criminal hive. That sort of thing occasionally occurred and was quickly… dealt with. One way or another. 

But this intruder was… different. A strange young man with snow white hair and pale skin, wearing simple black tunic and cloth pants. He was abnormally clean for having traversed this far into the sewer system. 

But even more than that, what was most strange was…

“Um, excuse me, gentlemen? Would you be so kind as to explain where you're taking me? I was sent by my creator with a very important assignment”, he told the guards carrying him in a very calm voice… as he was stuffed into a large sack. 

Yes, what was most strange was his almost eccentric politeness.

“Waz this guy talkin’ bout? Creata, wadn’t it?”, one gruff guard asked his compatriot.

“Ye, ‘hat’s odd and all, but not ‘our concern. Let's just get’em to the boss”, the other guard, equally gruff, replied. 

They carried the captive in a sack from one end of the criminal hive to the other, occasionally letting it drag on the ground. They headed for what looked to be the nicest shack in town. 

Once  there, they gave the door an elaborate and rhythmic knock before being allowed entry by several more gruff-looking guards. At this point, they simply dragged the sack across the polished floor without a care. 

“Boss?”, one of them called out.

The man in the sack couldn't see anything through his cloth confines, but assumed they had arrived at their destination. 

The sounds of cards being shuffled and flipped could be heard softly echoing throughout what sounded like a spacious chamber. 

“Eh? What is it this time?, a deep and sullen voice replied. The mere cadence implied a rough life and vast experience. 

“Sorry to interrupt, boss. But we caught another intruder”, one of the gruffians answered.

Ah, ‘gruffian’ is a portmanteau of ‘gruff’ and ‘ruffian’. Patent pending.

The deep voice let out a sigh. “If it's another stray cat, just take it to the surface and set it free”, he said dismissively, placing a card on a table. 

“It ain't no cat, boss. Tis a man, but not like one I ever seen”, the other gruffian stated. The boss seemed intrigued, so he slapped his cards on the table and turned in his seat to face them.

“Right then, let's see this man”, he said.

The gruffian guards roughly flipped the sack upside down and dumped the contents onto the wooden floor. A man fell out with a thud and a groan. 

Bringing himself to his knees, the man surveyed his new environment. He was in a candlelit chamber, filled with crates and barrels. In the center was a large round table where half a dozen men sat playing cards. 

Directly before him was the unexpected source of the deep and imposing voice. A stout man in tight leather armor. His expression, unreadable. 

“Stranger, do you know who I am?”, this man asked, his face unmoving. 

The white-haired man nodded, “Of course. You are Ryouma, the King of Thieves”, he said with just the right amount of reverence.

The Thief-King’s expression did not change. 

“If you know who I am, then you know where you are… so the only question is… why have you come here?”, Ryouma inquired. His tone was not angry or impatient, or even curious. 

“My name is Kiibo. Forgive my strange appearance, I am a Homunculus. An artificial human, conjured by--”, he explained before one of the guards gave him a sour look. 

“Answer the man's question”, he said, cracking his knuckles. 

“Right, of course. My apologies”, Kiibo said with a nervous gulp, “I have come here on behalf on my creator, who desires the services of the Thieves Guild”, he explained calmly. 

Ryouma leaned forward, “Your... creator should know that we don't accept just any contract”, he said simply.

“About that…”, one of the guards said, “When we caught’im, he was carryin’ this”, they finished, pulling a heavy sack from their coat and tossing it in front of the boss.

The distinctive rattle of shuffling coins was unmistakable. For the first time in the conversation, Ryouma had the tiniest hint of a smirk. 

“Well then… tell me, stranger… who exactly are we stealing from?”, Ryouma asked, his eyes widening ever so slightly. 

Kiibo stated blankly, “Saishuu Palace”.

* * *

 

Every now and again, it happened. Himiko thought she could enjoy a quiet, lazy day when  _ he  _ had to show up at their doorstep and insist himself onto them. 

“Nishishi… That inflicts 3 damage to your frozen archer, Shuichi”, Kokichi’s nefarious voice called out.

“Yeah, yeah”, Shuichi said, mentally tracking that information as he shuffled his hand casually. 

Kwynt. The strategic battle card game of choice in the Kingdom of Saishuu. Especially so in the royal palace. When not needed, vassals had a lot of time on their hands, after all. Basically everyone played on some level. 

Shuichi and Kokichi were often seen as the best players in the palace. As such, Kokichi barging in on them and demanding matches wasn't uncommon. 

It hardly mattered the time or place. The dining hall, the library, the magical practice chambers, their own home… and if Shuichi was to believed, he was once ambushed in the bathroom of all places. 

Himiko would often play with her familiar on a day like this as well… but of course Kokichi had to show up now. He agreed she could play the winner but…

A match between Shuichi and Kokichi usually took quite awhile. 

In the meantime, Himiko kept herself occupied with some light studying. Just a quick review of some magical history. She often found herself subconsciously returning to the pages describing her favorite historical figure and idol, Gundam the Dark Lord of Gehenna.

He lived over a century ago and had a long accomplished history of magical feats. In particular, he was known for his skill in taming various demonic beasts.

She even had a painting of him in her bedroom. A brooding piece of the great Gundam standing atop a lonely cliff, beside his hell-hound familiars. The sky twisting in the night behind him. Whenever she felt unmotivated, it rarely failed to inspire her. 

But who she was studying now, she was not so fond of. A vicious and wicked sorceress that lived around the same time. She was more known for her horrific magical experiments and ravenous armies of the undead. 

History had not been kind to this relentless warlord. But Himiko's reason for disliking her was more personal.

It was because of her that there exists a taboo of mages falling in love with their familiars. She had various rituals designed to increase her own power by utilizing the affections of her familiars, who were not always the most willing participants.

It was so stupid, Himiko thought. That the magical community would look down on the potential of blooming love because one villainous mage used it for power.

It was for the familiar’s own good, they said. The relationship between a mage and familiar is not a balanced one. It is always a matter of master and servant. To be truly equal partners was impossible, they had concluded on their own. 

The young mage glanced at her own familiar… she wasn't taking advantage of him. He was happy to be here, happy to be her partner… right? That's what he always said. 

But the fact remained that he was bound to her, by her will. By her decision on that day so long ago. His life revolved around hers, thanks to her own actions. But still… 

They were master and servant. That was the reality. Could you really be equal partners with someone who forced you into that role? Himiko desperately wanted to believe it was possible. 

It was a strange complex of guilt. Though she had saved his life, she had inadvertently robbed him off any other life he could've had. If she could've told him his future on that day… would he have wanted it? 

These feelings were not at all helped by the presence of this ridiculous taboo. She cursed the wicked sorceress. Curse you, M-

“Master? Is something wrong? You've been clenching that book rather tight”, Shuichi said with concern, noticing her annoyed expression. 

She tried to pass it off. “Aha… you know me and studying, we just don't mix, haa…”, she said nonchalantly, not even convincing herself. 

The look on his face told her that he wasn't buying that. Kokichi picked up on this almost immediately. “Ah, that's a doubtful look. I sure hope my little game earlier hasn't soured your close bond. I'd feel just awful were that the case”, he said with a sneer as he played a card.

Shuichi sighed. The Jester was particularly difficult to deal with today. “I only doubt out of concern, you know. If it's important, she'll tell me soon enough, right?”, Shuichi asked with an expectant look in her direction. 

“Of course”, she said blankly. But of course she wouldn't. She couldn't confide in him about this. And that only made her feel more guilty. 

“Well that's good to hear”, Kokichi said with a smile that seemed too rehearsed. The game continued silently for some time after. Until Kokichi suddenly turned back to the young mage. 

“By the way, I've been wondering… what that is, over there?”, he asked genuinely, pointing to the far corner of the room. 

Himiko turned her attention over to what appeared to be nothing of interest when suddenly, Kokichi snatched the book out of her hands and hopped out of seat and across the room. 

She was so startled she didn't even react until he spoke again. “Oooh. Yeah I see what's going on here now”, he taunted, stroking his chin as if he had just solved a puzzle.

Himiko grabbed her staff and pointed it right at him. “D-Don’t say a word! And give t-that back!”, she demanded. Shuichi stared agape at his master… there was more fire in her eyes now than he had ever seen.

Kokichi chuckled. “Relax”, he said smoothly as he casually tossed the book back at her, “I was just curious was all”. She caught it and clutched it against her chest. 

“Hey”, Shuichi said in a stern tone, before dropping his shoulders and declaring calmly, “Your game is with me”. The Jester grinned and hopped back in his seat. 

“So it is”, he said to himself. 

But the game would have to wait. All of a sudden, the door to their home swung open. Revealing an unnerved looking Gonta. 

“Emergency meeting! Gonta was told to inform all Court Vassals! Come to the meeting hall as soon as you can!”, Gonta announced in a booming voice before rushing off as fast as he had came. 

Shuichi placed his hand on the table and rose to his feet. “Let's go then”, he said, making his way to the door. 

“I'll catch up, let me just put these away”, Himiko said, as she grabbed a pile of books. Shuichi nodded and ran off after Gonta, leaving through young mage and jester alone. 

“Well, I really should--”, Kokichi began, taking a single step forward, before the young mage grabbed his sleeve. 

He had to laugh, “Come on, is this really the time?”, he said. 

“Don't tell him”, she said, her tone uncharacteristically low.

“Hm? Tell who what? Whatever could you mean?”, Kokichi taunted. She grabbed his wrist and gripped it as hard as she could, which as you might imagine, wasn't very hard. 

“You know”, he said, twirling a strand of hair with his free hand, “If you don't want me to say anything, you could always just tell him yourself”.

“You know I can't…”, she said somberly, get expression grim.

“Hm... for a time, watching you fidget and blush around him was entertaining, but now it's getting a little sad how much you want to bottle it all up”, Kokichi said, his usual impish grin turning into a displeased frown.

“The magistrate can't find out…”, she told him, “they would separate us and--”, she said before he cut her off.

“The magistrate isn't going away”, he stated plainly, “and neither are those feelings of yours. Sooner or later, something has to give”, he said ominously. 

She didn't have a response to that. 

“You weren't supposed to know… nobody was…”, she nearly whispered, cursing herself. 

“But I do”, he said sternly, “Tell him tonight, during your ritual”.

Her eyes widened, “How did you kn-”, she began. 

“Oh please… You wouldn't be this jittery about it if it wasn't today”, he answered dismissively.

“I think he'd much rather hear it from you, than me”, he finished, pulling his arm away. 

She just stood there, defeated in the face of his implied ultimatum. “Your jokes are too cruel…”, she spat out.

Kokichi only chuckled as he walked away. “Call it whatever you want”, he chided. 

She waited until he was truly gone and shake her head and regain her composure. She didn't have the luxury of moping now. The Queen had summoned them.

* * *

 

The meeting hall was a long somewhat plain table in an old-fashioned wooden room. Stacks of papers shoved to the side, various maps on the walls. The lighting was dimmed and the atmosphere generally serious. 

As the vassals filled in, a group of older civil servants walked out. As most of the vassals were teenagers, the officials didn't take their word as seriously, and thus the two parties didn't meet together often. 

It was them who would make larger decisions about the country as a whole. The vassals’ concern with with the palace itself. 

As soon as Shuichi entered the room, an arm wrapped around his shoulder. He looked up to see the smiling face of a dear friend. 

“Shuichi! Long time, no see!”, declared Kaito, one of the Knight-Captains of the realm and the official Court Astrographer. 

“Heh, y-yeah it has been awhile”, Shuichi stammered out, still taken aback. 

“You've been missing training, buddy. What's been keeping you?”, he asked jovially, practically carrying the stunned familiar to his seat. 

At present, there were four seats on either side of the table. Normally, the Queen at at the end of the table, but for her personal vassals she liked to sit among them. 

The seat farthest to the left on the far side was reserved for her. Tsumugi, the Court Tailor was seated to the right of her majesty. Kaede next to her and Gonta after that. 

At present, nobody else had arrived. Kaito took his seat adjacent from the Queen's and Shuichi had the spot next to him. His master would sit beside him on the right and after that was Kokichi. 

“Well you know, it's evaluation season for mages. I've been busy helping Master with that”, he said, feeling a bit guilty. He hadn’t actually seen his friend in weeks because of it. 

“Right, right. I wouldn't know much about that, not that I’d want to either”, Kaito said somewhat nervously. He'd never been very comfortable around magic. 

“At any rate,  it's kept me busy”, Shuichi said, dismissing the subject. 

“Huh. You call her ‘master’ and shit, but you two are actually pretty close, ain't you? What's the need for formalities among friends, huh?”, Kaito raved. 

Shuichi scratched his neck anxiously. “Well, it's just what's expected of me, I suppose. I'm n-not as formal in private, if that helps”, he said, feeling a bit embarrassed. He hadn't really talked about it before. 

“Yeah, I've been training nothing but shitty recruits lately. It's been dull as hell. But you seemed to have gotten soft these past few weeks”, Kaito went on, lightly hitting Shuichi in the arm.

He recoiled in pain a tad. That did hurt and he was definitely losing strength from all the lounging around and study. Perhaps he should resume training once the evaluations were finished. 

Kaito was one of the first people to take notice of Shuichi after he and his master had first arrived at the palace. Kaito was only a squire then. At first he only picked on Shuichi for being a wuss.

But one night Shuichi caught Kaito sneaking away to the roof of one of the watchtowers. There, he found the rowdy squire actually charting out the stars. Kaito admitted his dream of one day exploring the cosmos, and threatened to punch him off the tower of he laughed. 

But Shuichi didn't laugh. He thought it was a cool dream. From then on, the two would meet up on that tower. Shuichi would read him books on various subjects and help him track star patterns. In return, Kaito began teaching him how to fight. 

Kaito still wasn't ask that great at his general studies and Shuichi still wasn’t much of a fighter… like at all. 

But on and off, they had kept that up until this day. 

While the two of them were talking, they hadn't even noticed the Court Tailor had taken her seat on the other side of the table. Tsumugi was like that… Quiet, always off in the background, or her own little world. 

She had the Queen's ear, but not many others.

Gonta had found and brought Kaede in and the Queen herself entered not too long after, thus their side of the table was filled. Shuichi looked to the empty seats beside him. What was taking them so long?

“Shuichi, should you not have come with your mage?”, the Queen asked, her head titled slightly.

“Ah, she'll be along soon, your highness. She just needed to finish cleaning something”, he said in her defense. In retrospect, it wasn't a great excuse for being late to an audience with the Queen. 

The Queen chuckled lightly. Shuichi had nearly forgotten she was actually quite fond of cleaning and often refused her handmaidens to touch her room without her.

It was then that Kokichi casually hopped through the back door, arms behind his head. “Hey, where is--”, Shuichi began to ask before hearing the rapid patter of footsteps beyond the door. 

The young mage dashed in the room with such haste that she managed to trip over her own cloak and fall flat on the floor. Shuichi dove past the cackling Kokichi and offered a hand to his master. 

“Here, take my hand”, he said, hoisting her up to her feet and brushing any possible dust off her shoulders “I know you were late, but you should be more careful”, he finished in a gentle tone.

Himiko nodded, but didn't look him in the eye. Her whole being was embarrassed, not just from tripping over herself in front of the Queen, but because Shuichi had just pampered her again.

And she wanted that, of course. But for the first time, she was becoming more aware of how their relationship looked to other people. If Kokichi could see it so easily, how long before the Magistrate noticed on their own?

Shuichi led her to her seat beside him and she hung her head. “My apologies, Queen. For being late and… for being clumsy”, she muttered.

The Queen sighed and put on a faint smile, “It's alright. Now that everyone is here, we can… begin”, she said, her tone turning rather solemn near the end.

“This is a rather serious matter”, she began, “But mostly a warning to be on guard”. Her eyes glanced around the room. 

“On guard for what?”, Gonta asked simply. 

“There have been reports of a hooded figure wandering the rooftops at night. Several guards account being knocked out for hours at a time while on patrol”, she answered.

“Someone dangerous is scouting the palace. We don't know why, but I felt it important to warn all of you. The guards have been placed on high alert. More watchtowers are active, and nobody is being allowed entry to to the palace at night”, she finished with a stern tone. 

“I did… feel a presence last night as I walked to the library… but I didn't see anything”, Shuichi admitted.

“Do we have any description of this person? Other than hooded?”, Kaede inquired nervously. 

“Unfortunately not”, the Queen replied, “Nobody has gotten a close look at them”.

“Eh, could this be related to the increased Thieves Guild activity in the city? Maybe they're planning to rob the palace”, Kaito suggested. 

“I don't know… I don't think they'd risk us noticing them scouting around for multiple nights. I think whoever it is has been doing something around the palace”, Shuichi.

“We’ve searched around, but found nothing out of the ordinary”, the Queen stated. 

“This is just me throwing stuff out there. And no need to take it seriously, I'm only a jester afterall…”, Kokichi began with a smirk. 

“But I think we might be dealing with something worse than a regular thief”, he declared. 

“What the hell makes you so sure?”, Kaito blurted out.

“They've only been knocking guards unconscious, which tells me they're cautious and well-equipped. They've been staking out several nights which tells me they haven't found an opportunity to do whatever they want to do”, Kokichi laid out his reasoning. 

“If I had to guess, this may be some kind of assailant”, he concluded. 

“W-What? T-Then that would mean they're after the Q-Queen!”, Kaede stuttered, her voice shaky. 

“We are… well aware of that possibility”, the Queen stated blankly, looking down. “In any case, I only wanted to keep you all informed. And remind you to be extra careful”, she finished.

Soon enough, the meeting was dismissed and everyone went their separate ways once more.

* * *

 

It was night. 

The moon was full. 

They were alone.

It was time to perform the ritual. 

The darkened bedroom was lit only by the candles in the far corners. They sat together on the black carpet, the one that had the complex magic circle printed onto it. 

They were waiting. Waiting for the light of the full moon to cross through their window and shine upon the circle. It wasn't strictly necessary, but for a wolf familiar, it strengthened the effect of the ritual immensely. 

Himiko sat, cross-legged and concentrated. Her aura filled the entire room and then some. Shuichi could see the magical energies swirling so swiftly around her. It was entrancing.

This was why she was taken in by the Magistrate. She may not be the most diligent student, but her mana capacity was enormous. It rivaled the archmage himself in terms of raw potency and quantity. 

They had told them that this was a rare gift. That every so often a child would be born with intense magical potential. And with her being an orphan, there was no way to be sure where it all came from.

Truthfully, Shuichi was in awe when he saw her like this. It was so easy to forget that the lazy girl who would sleep until the afternoon if you let her and could never remember where she'd misplaced her tomes… was actually an incredible individual. 

The moonlight shone into the room and the circle beneath them lit itself in a dim glow. “Master, it's time”, he said calmly. 

She opened her eyes slowly as he laid down before her. And all of the anxiety she had been suppressing came back up again. “Shuichi… you c-can call me by name… n-now of all times”, she said, crawling towards him. 

“R-Right… Sorry, H-Himiko”, he stammered, his brow sweating slightly. 

She crawled up and sat on his stomach, holding her hands together. She mumbled something long and untranslatable from an ancient text. 

“Venyr ashra jae, kutoi pan’dasal ykwrynt haomuuh toras baquil ono vasutuch mei’xio giou…”, she went on. 

Shuichi undid the buttons on his shirt to expose his chest, where a black symbol lie. A swirling vortex and in the center… a blood red gem imbedded in his chest. This was the receptacle for his master's mana.

She gently placed both hands on this spot and began to pour her mana into him, like hot tea from kettle to cup. And much like hot tea, you didn't want to pour it too hastily. Lest you get burned. 

She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, trying very hard not to think about anything. Her troubled emotions would only disrupt the process. 

She could feel his chest rising and falling with his calm breaths… he must be doing the same. 

“Himiko… do you know what this feels like?”, Shuichi asked plainly, his tone relaxed and smooth. 

“I wouldn't know… you've never really talked about it”, she answered honestly.

“It's amazing… it's like being in a hot spring bath, but dry and I dunno… lighter”, he explained, his whole body entering a relaxed state. 

“That does sound nice…”, she said softly, wishing she too could be that relaxed. 

“But it's more than even that… because this is your energy, Himiko. My mind is… overflowing with good memories of you…”, he said peacefully. 

That was to be expected. Part of the ritual’s purpose is to strengthen the bond between master and familiar, after all. 

He giggled to himself. 

“W-What?”, she asked nervously. 

“It's nothing, I just remembered something cute”, he said absentmindedly. Her heart skipped a beat and there was a sudden surge of mana. 

“E-Easy…”, he said, placing a hand on hers. 

“S-Sorry…”, she muttered. 

There was a moment of silence before Shuichi spoke up again, “You're going to be an amazing mage one day”, he said with a kind of firm confidence. 

Himiko sighed, “You keep telling me that… everyone does”, she said. 

“Just the fact that I'm even here right now proves it. Nobody on the Magistrate Council could maintain a human familiar so easily at your age. And you've been doing it for years now”, he explained. 

“No… it was a fluke… I didn't even know what I was doing then”, she said, gritting her teeth. 

Her mana began to flare once again. 

“H-Hey!”, he shouted. 

“A-And I still worry about m-messing it up… because if I screw up, y-you’ll… you'll d-disappear and I… I…”, she rambled on, her heart rate spiking. 

There was a huge torrent of mana forcing its way into Shuichi all at once. He could feel his chest straining to accept it all. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly. 

“C-Careful! Slow down! I'm fine, just please--”, he shouted out in concern. 

But she wasn't listening to him. She could only hear her own mind telling her all her worst fears. But...

Shuichi never resented being forced into subservience. He always helped her reach her goals. He was kind and patient even when he had every right to be annoyed with her. 

She'd never had anyone like that before him. The way he looked after her… in her mind, that was a role only Shuichi could fill. And she didn't want to lose that. No matter what, she didn't want to lose that. 

His life, his existence was bound to hers. If he was wrong… if the council was wrong… if she really was a failure of a mage that just did it all by accident… 

If she slipped up, he could be gone forever. And she would be all alone again… 

She felt a pair of warm hands clasp the sides of her face and pull them down. She opened her eyes to see Shuichi staring at her intently. “I have enough! You can stop now!”, he declared as a matter of fact. 

And she did without thinking. Her aura receded and she fell into his arms, her hat rolling off across the floor. A gust of wind blew through the room, and the candles’ flames whipped away. Leaving them in near darkness. 

The gem in his chest had a strong and stable soft glow. The ritual was complete.

He hesitated for only a second out of surprise before hugging his master tight. “I’m not going anywhere”, he told her calmly. 

She pressed her face against his chest, not caring what it meant. “Y-You better not…”, she did, still trying to sound cool. 

The ritual had left her exhausted. She couldn't move if she wanted to. But she didn't want to. She was exactly where she wanted to be.

Shuichi patted her back gently. It didn't go as smoothly as it usually did, but he was still proud of her.

“Remember yesterday… you asked me if I was happy?”, he said, his voice sounding a little tired too.

She nodded, and he could feel like against his chest. 

“W-Well… I'm never happier than when I'm with you”, he said, holding her tighter. Himiko’s face turned so red it almost illuminated the room.

This was it. The best chance she'd ever have to tell him. No… she didn't have the energy for that conversation. There was only one thing she could do. 

It was a pain, but she slowly pulled herself up towards his face. He looked stunned, “H-Hey, you should save your strength…”, he stammered, his own cheeks blushing.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer. She only managed to give him the lightest kiss before slipping back and falling asleep.

Shuichi was left stunned in the dark, his master asleep on top of him. But after the shock wore off, he smiled softly and laid his head down, dozing off to sleep as well. He didn't yet know what to think, so he decided for the time being, not to.

That's right. He wasn't going anywhere…

...Right?

**END OF CHAPTER THREE**


	4. Gone Without A Trace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a couple of things to note before the real story begins. First of all, a certain plot point from the end of Chapter 2 (of the actual game) is hinted at here and confirmed next chapter, so just, quick spoiler alert for that. And secondly, I'm introducing Angie in this chapter and YES, I am using Atua, her God's dub name. My reasoning for this is a little different than you might think though. This story takes place in a fantasy world, and as anyone who's ever been in a D&D campaign knows, most fantasy worlds have a LOT of different deities available for worship. Angie just referring to her God as "God", as if it were the only one, doesn't really mesh with the setting that well. In this story, moreso than in canon, it makes more sense for Angie to worship a specific God. If the dub didn't conveniently already provide a name for her God, I likely would've made one up anyway. Thanks for your understanding.

**Chapter Four**

**Gone Without A Trace**

Himiko stirred awake slowly, dragging her head up from her pillow. She rubbed her eyes, stretched out her arms and yawned as if it were any other morning. 

It didn't take her long to notice some very odd and troubling things however.

She felt around the bed, almost in disbelief that it existed. “Nyaa? I don't remember falling asleep here…”, she told herself, getting up out of bed and onto the…

That's right, she fell asleep on the carpet… on top of…

She suddenly got extremely embarrassed by the thought and covered her face in her hands. D-Did she really do that last night?

She shook her head. She could worry about that later… something was wrong here. The light coming in from the window was a pale white… it was early morning. Far earlier than she normally awoke. 

She must have slept pretty soundly, because for being awake this early, she felt pretty good and alert. But that was the best that could be said.

Shuichi must have carried her to bed. It wasn't that unusual, she had fallen asleep in stranger places only to wake up in the comfort of her home. But something wasn't right. 

She opened the door between her bedroom and the main living space of their domicile. The room looked just as it always had except…

Shuichi was nowhere to be seen. 

As she crept through the living room as if she was trespassing in her own home, she approached the door to Shuichi’s own bedroom. Maybe was still sleeping, she thought. 

She knocked on the door.

No answer. 

She knocked again. 

No answer. 

She started to worry and pulled open the door to reveal…

Nobody. 

The bedroom looked normal and untouched but its owner was not present. 

That was extremely weird… Thinking back, she couldn't remember a morning she didn't wake up to seeing him. She started to panic and rolled down her sleeve to look at her forearm. 

On it was a magical marking. A complex symbol that was just as vibrant as the day it was made. The day she saved his life and made him her familiar. 

It was physical evidence of their pact. And to her immense relief, it was still intact. 

If he had died, the mark would've faded and eventually disappeared entirely. So he was still alive… but where was he?

She dressed herself and went out into the palace halls to look for him. If she concentrated, she could usually sense him off he was nearby.  But today, she sensed nothing. And that deeply troubled her.

The sky was overcast and white. It was not bright nor were any shadows cast. A day without light or darkness. The calm morning mist flowing about from the windows.

She ran all around, but it seemed as though nobody else was even awake yet. She had never been this active after waking up, but she didn't even think about that. She had to know. 

She had to know where her closest friend had gone.

Finally, she saw someone. Kokichi, the Court Jester, was sitting on a bench, overlooking the city below. On any other occasion, she wouldn't have given him a second glance this early in the morning but…

But as she approached, she slowed down to a walk. Something was wrong here too. Kokichi had his head down, hands clasped together… he looked absolutely downtrodden. And that was highly disturbing. 

When she got close enough, she noticed that he… had tears rolling down his face. 

This image was so far from the impish jester she knew, her brain couldn't accept it. Before she could say anything to him, she heard the patter of footsteps in the distance, towards the courtyard. She ran off, only looking back at the crying jester for a moment. 

In the courtyard, she saw a dozen knights standing around, discussing things in hushed whispers. Some were kneeling down and gazing around, as if looking for something. Her eyes darted around, looking for anyone she recognized. And it didn’t take long.

Her eyes fell on the Knight-Captain, who was sitting on the ground, his back pressed up against the base of a statue. It looked like he was receiving medical attention from another knight. Without thinking, she ran to him desperately.

Kaito, who was staring down at an arm being bandaged, looked up at her with stone cold eyes. He said nothing, only gesturing in the direction of the central statue of the old King, before his gaze fell to the ground.

Himiko turned around and slowly walked towards the central statue. There were a pair of knights there, tending to what looked like a body on a stretcher. There was a white sheet covering most of it, so she couldn’t see until she got even closer.

It wasn’t what she feared, it wasn’t what she expected. But that didn’t make it much better.

A face that had once been so full of life now appeared vacant and expressionless… her blond hair swaying slightly in the breeze. Kaede, the Court Minstrel… was dead before her very eyes.

The young mage tripped and fell back on the ground in disbelief. It had been a very long time she had seen a corpse in front of her… not since the orphanage fire all those years ago. That same feeling of dread immediately took over. It was a feeling you could never really forget.

She couldn't form words, though plenty came to mind. She felt like crying, or throwing up or just… something, anything. She had a sudden pain in her stomach. 

She had been jealous of the minstrel on occasion, and often mentally complained about her being ‘too perfect’, but she never ever wanted anything like this to happen. 

Himiko regretted ever having those feelings. It gave her an immense sense of guilt. 

One of the council mages stopped the knights from carrying her off. They instructed them to bring the body to the incantation chamber instead.

“The body yet lives, if only barely. But her soul has been siphoned away. The magistrate will perform a spell to preserve the body's condition for now”, they said. 

Her soul had been siphoned? That was better than dying, but only just. Soul Harvesting was a forbidden black magic. Whoever did it must have intention of using it and when they did…

Kaede would be truly dead. 

It was then that Kaito approached the young mage, his injuries bandaged. He limped with great discomfort as his sullen face drew near.

“I'm sorry… they got him”, he said, gritting his teeth. 

Himiko stood up and stared blankly. 

“W-What are you talking about?”, she asked, her tone shaken. 

“The assailants… they took Shuichi! I don't know why and I don't know where but… but he's gone”, he explained, clenching his fist in frustration. 

Without thinking, Himiko tried to rush towards the exit gate but Kaito grabbed her shoulder. 

“Stop! They could be miles away by now! You can't just go running off!”, he shouted.

She bit her lip. She didn't want to admit it but he was right. She couldn't just go run off without a plan. She barely even understood what happened. 

A knight came up behind them and announced, “We've awakened the Queen and explained the situation as best we could. She’s calling an emergency meeting. Everyone who's able must come at once”.

Himiko darted off in the direction of the meeting chamber. She needed to find out everything she could.

* * *

 

The meeting table was filled with the usual vassals… of course, not everyone was present. Kaede’s body was taken into the depths of the palace and Shuichi was who knows where. 

Even Kokichi was gone, evidently he told the knights he was in no condition to attend. Himiko had to admit that surprised her. 

The empty seats were taken instead by members of the magistrate council. 

One of them spoke, “This was a clear soul-siphoning incident. No doubt committed by a powerful rogue magic-user”, he said plainly.

“We have to assume their target was the Queen. Why would they go to such lengths to siphon the soul of a Minstrel?”, another said, stroking his impressive beard. 

“And what of the kidnapped familiar?”, a slightly younger council member brought up. The senior mages glanced in Himiko's direction. Normally this attention might embarrass her, but she was too focused to have that sort of reaction. 

She rolled up her sleeve and showed off the intact marking. “Wherever he is, he's still alive”, she said. 

“Are they attempting to use the familiar as a hostage?”, one of mages asked aloud.

“A mere familiar as a hostage? For what gain?”, another said, their time dismissive. 

Himiko bit her lip. She wanted to speak but knew her place. But as it turned out, someone else didn't. 

“Shuichi is not a  _ mere _ familiar!”, Kaito shouted, slamming his fist on the table. It looked like that aggravated his injuries. He growled in pain. 

Gonta, who had been silently clenching his fists and grimacing, spoke up as well, “That's right! Shuichi is a good friend to all of us! We must rescue him!”. 

Himiko’s heart leapt, this was the topic she wanted to get on. 

“Knight-Captain”, the Queen said with an understanding but resolute expression, “Let's start with what happened last night”, she said.

Kaito cleared his throat.

“I don't know when it happened exactly. I got a report that several guards had been knocked out. I went to investigate with a couple of the other guys”, he began. 

“There were six or seven intruders that made their way to the courtyard. I heard a scream in that direction and headed there right away. I… guess Shuichi heard it too”, he went on.

“I saw a flash of light, and then Kaede fell to the fuckin’ ground… I thought they killed her so I charged in with the others…”, he continued. 

“One of the intruders took us all on. I couldn't believe it but they wiped the goddamn floor with us. She’s the one that knocked me around like this”, he admitted, teeth clenched.

“She?”, the Queen commented. 

“Yeah… I could tell it was a chick by the shape and movement. She was cloaked all over, though her hair was stupid long”, Kaito clarified. 

“A single girl took out several palace knights at once?”, one of the mages spouted in disbelief. 

“You don't think I feel enough fuckin’ shame!?”, Kaito snapped back, clutching his chest. The mage swallowed hard and backed off the subject. 

“Anyway… that was when Shuichi showed up. I told him to run away and get help, but one of the intruders got to him first. They blew some powder in his face and knocked him out”, Kaito explained. 

“I tried to go after them, but that girl kicked me down. She damn near cracked my ribs, I could hardly fuckin’ move… I had to watch as they carried him away”, he finished. 

“Wait, they just left?”, one of the mages said in surprise. 

“If I may…”, a quiet voice perked up. The voice of Tsumugi, the Court Tailor, who usually remained distant and quiet during these meetings. 

“They probably thought they attracted too much attention, so they retreated”, she pointed out.

“Unless they got what they came for”, said a voice from the doorway. To everyone's surprise, Kokichi stood there, his expression blank.

“A soul is a powerful currency in black magic, right?”, he said.

“That's correct… but why come all this way? If they just needed a soul, they could get one from anywhere. Why target anyone in a heavily guarded palace?”, one of the senior mages asked. 

“The only thing that makes sense to me is that they're antagonizing the palace. They wanted to send a message”, he answered. 

“Then the Queen could be in serious danger!”, Tsumugi said in a frightened tone. 

“Yes… we must uncover who is behind this tragedy. And what they're planning to do next”, the Queen said. She seemed deeply concerned but kept it beneath the surface. 

“But who should investigate? We need to stay here to maintain the minstrel’s body. And to protect your highness”, the bearded mage said. 

There was only a brief moment of silence before the youngest mage shattered it. 

“I'm going to find Shuichi, no matter what”, she declared with the kind of conviction rarely seen in her. 

Everyone was too shocked to respond, so she continued, gazing down at her marking, the proof of her pact. “The mana I transferred to him last night… he’ll need another transfer in a week's time… or else…”, she said… but didn't dare finish. 

He would vanish. Forever. 

“Likewise, a week is probably the longest we can preserve the minstrel’s lifeless body before it begins to deteriorate”, a mage added. 

“This is crazy! She's still in training! This mission is too important to place in the hands of--”, the sternest of the mages began. 

But the Queen held up her hand, commanding silence. “No. I trust her. She has more resolve to do this than anyone else”, she proclaimed.

Nobody argued. That was the Queen's word. And Himiko felt an immense appreciation for her ruler. 

“Gonta will help! Just tell him what to do!”, Gonta shouted enthusiastically. Himiko smiled at the big lug. His muscle would certainly come in handy. 

“I’d love to go with you, kid. But with these injuries, I’d only slow you down”, Kaito said, giving her a pat on the back. 

“We need you here regardless. The palace guard must be on high alert, and for that, they will need their Captain”, the Queen said, placing a hand on Kaito's shoulder. She could tell how much he wanted to go. 

“I wouldn't be any use in a fight or adventure. So I'll just investigate around the city”, Kokichi said, walking off to WI knows where. 

“We will research our magical libraries, try to guess what they could be trying to use that soul for”, a senior mage said. The Queen nodded. 

“Then our path is clear. You and Gonta must head out. Form a party if you must, to find out who we're dealing with. Recover Kaede's soul… and find Shuichi”, she told Himiko directly. 

Himiko nodded. She had never felt so driven before. About anything. But she would find her partner, no matter what. 

To do that, she'd have to recruit allies and search for any information they could get their hands on. And she knew just where to start. 

It was time to visit an old friend.

* * *

 

She hadn't left the palace in quite some time. The reasoning for that was twofold. The first was that it was a hassle the lazy mage didn't volunteer for often. 

The second was to avoid… _her_.

That's why Himiko was nervously observing her surroundings as she hid behind Gonta's huge frame. She desperately wanted to avoid any contact with… her.

“Gonta doesn't understand why you're acting so scared. The attackers are long gone”, he told her as he tried not to bump into the passing civilians. 

“Nyaa… it's not them I'm worried about…”, she replied, jerking her head back to check behind her. No sign of that woman… good.

“Ah, here's the Tavern!”, Gonta declared as they approached a lively pub. Outside was a large bulletin board with many various signs and notices. 

Himiko pulled a roll of paper out of her cloak and pinned it to the board in a noticeable spot. It was an advert for assistance in reclaiming lost… property.

She would've argued the point, but the council already made it by the time she was ready to leave. 

Anyone interested was to meet them inside that night. Until then, they had someone else to recruit just down the road. 

As they walked, Gonta scratched his head and asked, “Gonta forgets… Where are we going again?”. 

“The Church of Atua. I know one of the priestesses there. She has a command of healing magic… among other things”, Himiko answered honestly. 

“Ah… what are these other things?”, Gonta inquired cautiously. 

“Eh… You'll see”, she said vaguely, nervously twiddling her thumbs. 

They soon happened upon a magnificent shimmering white cathedral. With tall marble pillars and elegant stained glass windows. People poured in and out of the building in droves and doves perched themselves atop the bell towers. 

“Wow… Gonta is impressed! The Church of Atua is incredible!”, he said, awestruck. 

Himiko sighed, “No, that's not it”, she said, pointing instead to a rundown looking shack across the street, “That's the Church of Atua”.

Gonta looked back and forth between the diametrically opposed buildings in confusion. “Are you quite sure?”, he asked. 

Himiko nodded sadly and knocked on the shabby wooden door. There was no response. She knocked again, harder. 

Then she heard a small cough to the side by a damaged window with a board half-covering it. Her attention was directed towards a small, rusty box labeled ‘Donations’.

Himiko sighed, pinched her temple and took out a coin from her pocket, tossing in the box. Suddenly the door swung open and a pair of arms wrapped themselves around the young mage. 

“Ah! Himiko! Welcome! Welcome! This priestess of Atua welcomes you with open arms!”, the tan-skinned hugger said almost melodically.

“Aah… Angie… It's n-nice to see you t-two”, the young mage said, struggling to reach over to the donation box slyly. 

But Angie saw through it and gently grabbed both of her hands and held them together in a friendly greeting. 

“It has been such a long time since you visited Atua’s home. Ah! Where is Shuichi? I thought you were inseparable”, she commented, blinking in confusion. 

Himiko looked down to the ground. “He's missing…”, she admitted. 

Angie frowned and crossed her arms disappointingly. “Aw… that's too bad. I was really hoping I could get his blood this time…”, she said, her tone high but sympathetic. 

Angie saw Himiko's downtrodden expression and clapped her hands cheerfully, “Ah, why don't you two come inside, yes?”, she said, leading them into the ramshack.

There were a few wooden benches in desperate need of new finish lined up before a small stage and makeshift altar. Angie sat them at a bench and took a seat in front of them. 

“Now then, confess all your troubles to me, earnest mage”, Angie said warmly, holding out her arms in the light. 

Through a somber tone, Himiko explained the situation to her old friend. Repeating it all back out loud only made her depressed. But it had to be done. 

“I see, I see… Well it is true that Atua’s grace can heal physical wounds…”, Angie muttered after listening intently. 

“I don't know where else to go for this sort of thing…. Eh…  I'm begging you, Angie”, the young mage said desperately, holding her hands together. 

Angie looked around her empty church and grinned mischievously. “Ah, well I think Atua and I can lend you a hand, Himiko. Of course, a generous donation will be required!”, she said, her tone chipper.

“Nyaa! Anything!”, she replied in an instant. 

“I would like a small vial of Shuichi’s blood when we find him! Just a few drops, I promise!”, Angie demanded with a glazed look in her eyes. 

Himiko retracted her begging hands. Was she really comfortable promising Shuichi’s blood like that?

No. That wasn't… something an equal partner would do. But how else would she convince Angie?

Himiko’s eyes darted around the desolated center of worship, her gaze finally landing on an elaborate painting to the back wall. 

She pounded a fist into her free hand with a smirk. “I think I can do you one better, Angie”, she said tauntingly. 

Angie snapped out of her blood-craze and leaned in excitedly. “Oh, what could it be?”, she asked with enthusiasm. 

“I can arrange an exclusive art expose for your church at the palace! You can spread the word of Atua to thousands at once!”, Himiko blurted out.

She had no idea if she was capable of arranging that. But if the quest was successful, she would beg before the Queen herself if she had to.

Angie’s eyes lit up like shooting stars as she leapt in the air with glee. “Wow! That would be most excellent! Atua approves! Atua is most impressed by Himiko's devotion!”, she shouted. 

Himiko fidgeted nervously, “It's n-not devotion…”, she stammered out. Not to Atua, at any rate. 

“Gonta feels a lot safer with a healer in the party!”, Gonta exclaimed, giving Angie a light high-five as she extended her hand out.

“Thanks, Angie. This means a lot to me”, Himiko said, her eyes still staring downward. 

Angie clapped her hands against Himiko's cheeks and forced their eyes to meet. Himiko was taken aback by the forcefulness.

“Do not worry about a thing! With Atua on our side, we'll find Shuichi in no time!”, she reassured her. 

“Eh? Is t-that so…”, was all the young mage could muster to say in response. It had been awhile since they'd seen eachother, so she had forgotten how cheerful Angie was. 

“We should wait at the Tavern! Maybe some brave adventurer has noticed our flyer!”, Gonta reminded them. 

Himiko nodded. Once they had a party set, they could start tracking down leads. That was something Kokichi was probably handling, one way or another. 

As they walked back towards the Tavern, Himiko stared at her marking. Wherever he was, she hoped that Shuichi was safe. They'd find him, no matter what. 

**END OF CHAPTER FOUR**

 


	5. Stolen Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Sorry I've been gone awhile. I was busy with college work and then busy playing the actual game. But I should be back on track for the most part now.)

**Chapter Five**

**Stolen Away**

A shrill cry rang in Shuichi’s ears, forcing him awake in the dead of night. He was about to sit up when he remembered his circumstances. His master lay on top of him, breathing peacefully in her slumber. 

It was probably his more attune wolf ears that allowed him to hear the cry when she could not. It wouldn't do to ignore it, so he was very careful with his next movements. 

Gently, he lifted her up and moved over to her bed, where he laid her softly and pulled the covers over her warm frame. Whatever her kiss meant… that could wait until later. 

He silently exited the room with only a single longing glance at his master. He would be right back. He just needed to check things out. 

He left their abode and ran through the halls toward the courtyard, the source of the desperate cry. When he saw an unfamiliar figure in the mist ahead, he ducked behind a stone ledge and merely peeked over the edge. 

There were two figures. One he recognized, and he didn't. 

Kaede was there standing before a lone hooded figure, there was no mistaking that golden hair. The distance and darkness made it difficult to make out the other figure, but the shape was definitely feminine. 

His sensitive wolven ears could pick up their conversation, even his far off position. 

“You don't have to do this”, Kaede said sternly, her voice both strong and weak. 

The other figure hesitated. 

“You know that I do”, a clearly female voice said. 

“We talked about this, didn't we? They only have as much power over you as you let them have”, Kaede reasoned, her tone fearful. 

“The Order… is absolute”, the other reasoned simply.

“...So that's how it is”, Kaede said, disappointed. 

“You should know, I only approached you directly because the contract demanded it”, the figure said. 

“Wait, so this isn't about the Queen?”, Kaede said in surprise. 

“Not yet. Tonight is about you, as well as one other”, the figure answered. 

Kaede backed away in terror. But there was a shout in the distance as she did. “Hey! I don't know who you are but get away from her now!”, a rowdy voice called out. It was the voice of the Knight-Captain, approaching the scene with several other knights at his call. 

“K-Kaito! Wait! You don't understand!”, Kaede shot back, turning her back to the mysterious figure. 

“Who is this? We've gotten reports of unconscious guards all over the palace”, Kaito explained. 

“T-This is…”, Kaede tried to begin to answer, but words failed her. There is no salvaging this situation peacefully. Not after what would happen next. 

The figure drew a pair of blades and rushed to the men approaching the scene. It was a flurry of skilful parries and takedown the likes of which Shuichi had never seen before. 

And in only an instant, the knights were beaten and writhing on the ground. Kaito rushed at the girl with a calculated strike, but she nearly effortlessly knocked the sword out of hands and pivoted around to deliver a bone-shattering kick to his stomach. 

He flew back into a wall and coughed up some blood. “Weak”, she said simply. 

“--The fuck you say?”, Kaito said, more growl than coherent words. 

Shuichi couldn't stand watching this scene play out, but knew it'd be foolish to rush in. 

Another figure approached the courtyard from the stairs on the far side, one dressed in black robes. His pale skin and snow white hair stood out in the darkness of night. 

“We need to finish this soon. The Master is waiting”, he said calmly, taking out a strange gemstone and holding it out in front of a scared and defenseless Kaede. As soon as the figure’s aura manifested, Shuichi panicked. 

It was unmistakable. Black magic. 

He leapt over the ledge towards her, his mind blanking out. With his speed, maybe he could--

That was as far as his train of thought got before he fell to the ground with a hard thud. He turned over to see a stout-looking hooded man grimacing at him. He had evidently tripped him. 

“Looks like our mark has found his way to us”, he said in a surprisingly deep tone.

Shuichi tried to get back on his feet, but the man kicked his gut and held him down with disproportionate strength. “Just shut up and watch the show, wolfboy”, he said condescendingly.

Shuichi reached out his arm, as if that would do anything. As he watched the white-haired figure siphon Kaede's very soul out of her body and into the glowing gemstone. When it was finished, her body fell to the ground, emptied of life. 

“Shuichi! Get out of there! Go find help! Tell the Que--”, Kaito shouted, but the hooded girl simply jammed her foot in his chest to silence him. 

The stout man pulled out a small satchel and said with a dull snicker, “Only place he's going is with us” as he sprinkled a small amount of grey dust in Shuichi’s face. After that, Shuichi could feel his energy draining away and his consciousness fading fast.

His confused and panicked mind knew peace as he fell asleep once more.

* * *

 

Shuichi groaned as his head rocked back and forth, his body limp across a wooden floor. He felt weak, and his wrists were bound. He opened his eyes to a figure sitting in front of him, swaying from side to side in the pale moonlight. 

“Ah. You're awake. I hope you're not too badly hurt”, the figure spoke in a surprisingly friendly tone. Shuichi forced himself to sit up straight, which proved difficult once he realized he was inside a moving cart. 

“W-Where…”, he began. 

“I'm afraid I can't tell you that, nor where we're going”, the figure spoke, as if predicting his thoughts. 

“Then… who”, Shuichi said. 

“My creator calls me Kiibo. If you’d like, you can too”, the figure answered politely. 

“R-Right…”, Shuichi said, looking around. They were in a wooden carriage, the only door stood to the side between them, small windows on both sides above. There were a few crates and other miscellaneous items on the floor.

Kiibo was sitting on one such crate. 

“If you think you'll get some kind of ransom, you should reconsider”, Shuichi told the cloaked man. 

“We didn't do this for money. I wouldn't have need of it anyway”, Kiibo explained, as if clearing up a simple misconception. Shuichi raised an eyebrow. 

“Then why me? Why am I here?”, he asked. 

“I was told you were necessary… it wasn't my place to ask why”, Kiibo answered, his expression solemn for only but a moment. 

“Who is your creator?”, Shuichi asked intuitively. 

“You'll see when we arrive. I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to answer these types of questions”, Kiibo said plainly. 

“I need to go back to the palace”, Shuichi said, knowing it was probably futile. 

“That's not possible”, Kiibo said blankly. 

Shuichi was fast on his feet. He knew he could get away if he saw an opportunity to flee. But he feared that chance might come too late. 

“You don't look human”, Shuichi told the pale man. 

“I am not. I'm a Homunculus, an artificial lifeform. I'm not the first of my kind, but by far the most successful, so my master says”, he explained. 

Creating homunculi was forbidden by the Magistrate for a variety of ethical concerns. This tenant had been in place for centuries. Knowledge of the process is incredibly scarce. 

His master must be a powerful sorcerer of some kind. This was all the more reason Shuichi had to escape. 

“You're rather forthcoming with information… for a kidnapper”, he observed.

“I gain nothing by being rude to you. Truthfully that's all it is”, Kiibo declared as a matter of fact. 

Shuichi went silent for a moment before gritting his teeth. “And Kaede? Why did you take her soul?”, he asked, his tone more aggressive. 

“That was… also necessary”, was the homunculi’s brief reply. 

“Necessary for what? Only the most depraved rituals would require something as pure and volatile as a human soul”, Shuichi stated with conviction. 

Kiibo didn't answer. He closed his eyes and sat across from his captive calmly. Shuichi’s head hung low. He put on a brave front, but the truth was, he was worried out of his mind. 

He was scared about where he was being taken, and for what purpose. But beyond that… he was worried about his master. He cursed himself for leaving her side like he did. 

He hoped whatever danger was coming for the kingdom wouldn't be coming for her. He knew she'd try something… but she had a habit to getting into trouble when he wasn't around. 

‘ _ Please don't do anything rash, Himiko… I'll find a way back to you before you get into too much strife… _ ’, he thought to himself as he continued to wait for his opportunity.

* * *

 

The Tavern was rather quiet at this time of day, a fact that pleased the young mage immensely. She wasn't good with large crowds. 

What did not please her so much was the establishment’s… rather peculiar menu. The items listed had such… obscene and vulgar names that she would've died of embarrassment saying them out loud. 

And by the occasional glance of tortured anticipation from the busty barmaid behind the counter, Himiko could tell that was exactly what someone was waiting for. 

“Gonta is rather thirsty… but these names don't look very appetizing at all”, Gonta commented, scratching his head. Of that, they were all in agreement. They weren't sure what a  _ sparkling cum-guzzler supreme  _ was, but they knew they didn't want one. 

“Yes, excuse me. I'll have the  _ Pisschoker Tea _ , thanks”, said a voice from right next to Gonta, who nearly leapt up in surprise. Himiko had to blink at the new figure sitting across from her. She didn't even see them approach. 

It was a young man with a handsome face. His expression was relaxed and casual, like he had been there for hours. His finger twirled around a strand of his lime green hair. 

“It must be a miracle! This man appeared out of nowhere!”, Angie exclaimed excitedly. 

“Nah, not at all. You guys just aren't on the right level yet. It's just a matter of experience”, the figure said without judgement.

He wore light armor over an oversized shirt. His arms, draped in long sleeves were folded behind his head casually. He pulled out a rolled up piece of paper from his pocket and tossed it on the table. 

“You're recruiting, so it seems. For some kind of rescue?”, he asked in a smooth tone. 

“T-That's right”, Himiko said, somewhat intimidated by the figure. 

“Ah, no need to be so tense. My name is Rantarou, you may have heard tell of my adventures?”, he said, introducing himself with a friendly nod. 

There was no mistaking a name like that. 

“You're Rantarou!? Y-You’re famous! The greatest adventurer of our age they sa--”, Himiko exclaimed, but Rantarou held a finger to get lips to silence her.

“Woah, easy there kid. No need to attract unnecessary attention”, he warned with a disapproving look, his eyes darting around as if checking for potential ambush. 

“O-Oh… sorry”, she apologized, still taken aback by the sudden appearance of a famous adventurer. 

“Forgive Gonta, but Gonta is unfamiliar with this Rantarou person… Gonta doesn't the news much”, Gonta said, embarrassed slightly by his ignorance in this subject. 

Angie popped up excitedly, her eyes widening. “They say he defeated a Medusa with 30 heads!”, she cried. 

“Thirty-three and a half”, he corrected. 

“They say he’s rescued more princesses than there are kingdoms”, Himiko muttered.

“Ah, I get a lot of repeat business”, he shrugged. 

“They say he's got enough treasure to build a hundred cathedrals!”, Angie said with reverence.

“That's… an oddly specific measure of wealth”, Rantarou mused. 

“They say his sword is made from a Steelborn Dragon’s fang… that it's unbreakable by any manmade blade”, Himiko stammered, getting weirdly excited. 

Rantarou smirked and unsheathed his armament from his hip, laying it on the table for the group to see.

The sword shimmered in the rays of light pouring in from the loosely swaying curtains. It was sleek and tapered perfectly. In its hilt was a burning crimson gemstone that caught the young mage’s eye. 

“T-That’s an Eye of Amorys! This blade in imbued with fire magic!”, she said with emphasis, her hands hovering over the rare artifact like she was internally debating whether or not to run off with it. 

Rantarou quickly pulled the sword ban to its holster. “Of course, you should understand my services don't come cheap. But as this is evidently an official job from the royal palace… I wouldn't imagine that would be a problem”, he explained. 

Himiko pushed her fingers together nervously and slid back in her seat, her enthusiasm dampened. “S-So… how much gold are we talking?”, she asked in a depressed tone.

Rantarou's expression turned serious.

“I don't want gold. I have more than enough of that. The luster of coin doesn't fulfill me anymore”, he stated firmly. 

“Huh? Then… what do you want?”, Himiko asked, perking up in genuine confusion. 

“I'll help you recover what you've lost… but in return, you must give me a treasure I've never had before”, he answered, staring right into her eyes. 

“A treasure… you've never had before”, Himiko repeated to herself under her breath. That was so vague, yet instantly daunting. But help from such a great adventurer was difficult to pass up. 

“Ooh! I know!”, Angie exclaimed, reaching into her robe and pulling out a thin badge. 

“I wouldn't normally do this, but if it's for Himiko's sake, I will make you a silver-tier member of the Church of Atua!”, she said happily, holding out the badge in Rantarou's face. 

He pushed it back gently. “Ah, no. It's gotta be something  _ I  _ consider a treasure”, he clarified. 

“And if I can't find you a treasure like that? Then what?”, Himiko asked. 

“That would depend on what you sign off as collateral…”, he answered, his expression difficult to read. Right, that's how these sorts of contracts usually worked. 

“And just so we're clear, you can only sign off something you're actually capable of giving me. So you can't just bet the whole country or whatever”, he explained. 

Himiko thought long and hard. But they only thing she had that might be if any value of someone like him was… 

She sighed and pulled a small wand from a holster on her waist. Infusing it with her mana, it grew into a full-sized staff. A long black stave with shining sky blue crystals on both pointed ends. 

“Would you accept this?”, she asked nervously. She didn't even want to think about losing her magical instrument… but if it was for Shuichi…

Rantarou took the staff from her hands and looked it over, carefully appraising it. 

“This is a relatively new magical staff… not some relic. Probably made by the palace magistrate, if I had to guess. But still, the craftsmanship is very nice… getting ahold of anything this efficient is difficult outside of established circles…”, he mumbled to himself as he ran his fingers about every inch of it.

“Yeah… this would do nicely”, he said as he handed it back to the young mage who gripped it tighter than necessary. 

“Why don't you tell me more about this quest? The notice said something about recovering lost property?”, Rantarou asked aloud. Everyone went a little stiff at the phrasing.

Rantarou sighed. “Judging by that reaction, I'm gonna guess that's not entirely accurate, is it?”, he followed up, scratching the back of his head blankly. 

“Shuichi is not property. That's what Gonta thinks anyway”, Gonta said with nervous conviction. 

“Shuichi is my fa-... my friend. He was taken from the palace by a group of criminals. We don't know who they are or what they want with him…”, Himiko explained clearly. 

“They must be a dangerous sort”, Rantarou commented, fingers stroking his chin. 

“That's what we think, yeah”, she replied. 

“And who is this Shuichi person? What value would he hold as a hostage?”, he asked poignantly. Himiko gritted her teeth. She was trying not to answer that. 

“T-That’s what we can't figure out… he's a Court Vassal, like us. He's something of a detective, you could say”, she told him. There weren't any lies in that statement. 

“Was he investigating any criminal activity?”, he asked. 

“N-No… he doesn't really do stuff like that. Not yet… he mostly solves problems around the palace”, she answered. Again, all the truth. 

“I see… how puzzling”, was all Rantarou had to say. It was all there was to say. The situation truly was a mystery. 

The table was silent for a moment. 

“This person, are they important to you?”, Rantarou asked, staring directly into the young mage’s eyes. But it felt different this time. It wasn't a gaze of suspicion or confusion… it was more humble than that. 

Pulling her hat over her face, she answered, “Y-Yeah…”. Rantarou smiled as if he was remembering something really happy. 

“Well, then if my conditions are fine with you, I’d like to offer my help”, he said, extending a hand. With only the tiniest bit of hesitation at offering her precious staff as collateral, Himiko shook it. And a contract was formed. 

It was at that moment, the bitter-looking barmaid walked over to the table. “Alright fuckboy, I've got your dri--”, she was about finish that unnecessarily rude statement when she noticed something peculiar out the window to the side. 

At first it was only a faint buzz, but it grew into a panicked shout as suddenly the window shattered all across the table and a woman flew through the air, a kick poised to take off Rantarou's head. 

He nonchalantly ducked his head and the woman soared over him with a baffled look on her face as her foot collided with the barmaid’s gut, sending them both spiraling across the floor and crashing into the bar.

This caused the barmaid to let go of the tray she was carrying, and an iron tankard filled with questionable yellow liquid spun around in the air before dropping straight onto Rantarou's head.

He fell sideways out of his seat and tumbled onto the floor, blood leaking from the top of his head. Gonta stood up immediately, knocking over several things as he shouted “Aaah! Rantarou! H-He’s…!”.

The great adventurer lie still on the Tavern floor… dead. 

“Wait! It is not too late!”, Angie perked up as she hopped over the table and knelt by Rantarou's side. 

...Or maybe not. 

She held out a hand in front of Rantarou, and held the other by her chest and began to chant, “Oooh, great and powerful Atua… though this man may be a godless heathen, won't you please use your divine strength to restore him to health?”. 

A calm light emitted from her palm and engulfed Rantarou's body, and slowly his injury was undone. A moment later he carefully rose up, holding his head with a groan. 

“Ugh… woah, I did not think that would happen to me today…”, he mumbled groggily, clutching his head in pain. 

“Ah, by his divine grace, you're alive!”, Angie exclaimed with a smile, clapping her hands together with pride. Then she extended an open hand to Rantarou, “That will be five gael, please!”, she said with an even bigger smile. 

Rantarou rolled his eyes as he reached into a pocket, “What a… generous deity”, he muttered.

“Aw, look at what you made me do! You made me attack a fellow female!”, shouted the random flying girl from across the room, now brushing dust off her light blue gi. Her long twisted braids seemingly snapped into position with her as she struck a fighting stance. 

“Himiko! I cannot allow this menace to join your party!”, she declared boisterously towards the young ma--

“Wait… where did she go?”, the girl asked aloud, crossing her arms in confusion. Everyone, except the barmaid who was still riling on the ground, looked around anxiously. But the mage was nowhere to be seen. 

“Huh. That's strange… Gonta swore she was here a second ago…”, he said, scratching his head. 

“Oh! Wait! She left a note!”, Angie said, pointing to a slip of paper left lying on the table. She snatched it up and read it aloud. 

“Went back to the palace. Meet me there later, do not bring Tenko with you. Sincerely, Himiko. That's what it says”, Angie finished excitedly. 

“Waah!”, the girl who appeared to be Tenko cried in shock. She immediately bolted out of the Tavern shouting, “Waaaait! Himiko! If this is about the window, I'm sorry for startling youuuuuu!”, as she ran. 

Rantarou picked himself up off the floor and stood in the doorway. Angie and Gonta walked up behind him and watched the energetic girl sprint down the street and up the hill to the palace. 

“Right… I suppose we should go then”, Rantarou said, sighing deeply. 

“But… what about her?”, Gonta said with a tone full of concern as he glanced back at the unconscious barmaid.

“Trust me, big guy. It's best we’re not here when she wakes up”, Rantarou stated plainly as he walked out the door. 

“Ah! Please! Wait for Gonta!”, Gonta stammered as he followed suit. Angie trailed behind them, rubbing her newly acquired gold coins between her fingers with glee.

A very strange group was forming indeed. 

**END OF CHAPTER FIVE**


	6. Searching and Longing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Worked through a headcold to finish this. Been busy with classes, you know the drill. Enjoy.)

**Chapter Six**

**Searching and Longing**

Himiko panted and rubbed sweat from her forehead as she slid against the palace wall and plopped onto the floor. She hadn’t needed to run like that in a long time. Needlessly to say, she wasn't a fan.

But she needed to slip away in the chaos. No matter what, she did not want get her involved. Even if she could fight, dealing with someone like that was simply out of the question.

“My my, you look like you've been working hard”, a jovial voice rang from beside her. There Kokichi stood, arms crossed behind his head. Himiko sighed, even this was better than dealing with Tenko.

“I'm not in the mood for your sarcasm, Kokichi”, she said bluntly, turning her head away.

“Of course not. You're all business now. You can't afford to act flippant without Shuichi to cover for you”, Kokichi taunted.

Himiko winced but didn't respond.

“What are you doing back here anyway? I thought you were off gathering a little party”, he asked, sliding down to sit beside her.

“I have. I think anyway… Things got uncomfortable”, she admitted, pouting.

“Ah, right. Whenever you leave, it's only a matter of time until she sniffs you out, huh?”, he said, gazing out to the city in the distance.

“Some people can't take hints”, she muttered bitterly.

“I hope you don't mean me as well… I might not be your favorite but I'm taking the time to console you, aren't I?”, Kokichi replied in a cheesily somber tone.

“All you ever do is trick me and turn everything into a game. You're… exhausting”, Himiko said honestly. She couldn't remember the last time she was so direct with Kokichi.

But without her familiar, she had to be.

Kokichi just had a mischievous grin on his face as he contemplated her words. “So if Shuichi is like a sweet treat, am I like a sour candy? An acquired taste?”, he pondered.

Himiko frowned, “I don't think of people like that”, she said plainly.

“Maybe you should, it's fun”, was his only reply.

“Oh? And how do you see me?”, she asked.

“You're like a bright juicy tomato, especially when Shuichi’s around”, he said cheerfully.

She bit her lip. She was sorry she asked.

“Speaking of which, I came across the most interesting rumor while I was out and about”, Kokichi teased, changing the subject.

“Rumor?”, Himiko asked.

“Yeah. Real juicy stuff. Anyone missing a certain familiar should get on her knees and beg me for this information. Just a thought”, he said, grinning widely.

“I-I'm not gonna beg you! Just tell me!”, she pleaded, glaring daggers at Kokichi. He only snickered to himself before sighing deeply.

“Aw really? I go out of my way to help you and you won't acknowledge me? You’re so cold, Himiko. I guess it's Shuichi or bust with you…”, he whimpered solemnly.

She had to admit she felt a little sorry for him...before he continued, “Oh well, all the more reason you should be begging me!”.

She hated how he yanked her around like that. “Look, just tell me what you found out… um… please?”, she said, forcing her tone to soften.

Kokichi yielded, “Well, I guess that's as much as I deserve. Anyway, a merchant by the west gate of the city apparently sold provisions to a pale white-haired man in black robes”.

“Oh… the knights were talking about someone like that when we were heading to the meeting”, she said, recalling that tidbit.

“Someone involved in the kidnapping… if he bought supplies at the west gate, that might be the way they went, you think?”, he went on.

“Yeah, that makes sense but they're long gone by now. We can't just go west and hope to find them… we need to know where they’re going”, she responded.

“That might not be as hard as you think… you do know what's just beyond that gate, right?”, Kokichi asked like he was quizzing her.

She recalled every map she'd ever seen. “The border between Saishuu Kingdom and Westros, isn't it? That place is barely a country anymore, it was ravaged by war decades ago”, she answered.

“Exactly. There aren't many places left standing to bother going to… but, we know something interesting about Shuichi’s kidnappers, don't we?”, he went on with a smug grin.

He enjoyed holding information over her head.

“Only that they have no problem using black magic”, Himiko muttered with distaste. Kokichi snapped his fingers.

“That's exactly right, good job! Would you like a cookie?”, he inquired jokingly. She bit her lip, trying not to let his condescension get to her.

“Given those two pieces of information, we can narrow down their possible destinations significantly… say, why don't we take a gander through the archives?”, Kokichi suggested.

Himiko wasn't thrilled at how involved Kokichi was getting, but she knew he was onto something. She just hoped he wouldn't suddenly demand something extreme in return for the help.

The pair climbed to their feet and walked off together. The archives were located downstairs in the depths of the palace. That was were various maps and records were stored. There, they might pinpoint where their enemies were heading.

* * *

 

Blindfolded, Shuichi was forced to walk through a series of stone corridors. It was cold and unfriendly. The only sounds were the sharp footsteps of his captors and the crackling of what he assumed were braziers.

He didn't know how far he was from home. And he had to admit he was getting scared. Just yesterday he had a peaceful life, now his life could be on the line for reasons he couldn't even imagine.

His bound hands were shaking. As he kept walking where he was directed, he took deep breaths. Focus on the present, don't think too much about the worst possibilities. And above all else, look for his chance.

“Just through here”, Kiibo command. Shuichi could hear him opening a large door with a creak that seemed to echo ad infinitum. He walked through, where he was surprised to find that Kiibo was undoing the blindfold.

When the veil was lifted, it didn't take his eyes long to adjust. It was a long, dark chamber, dimly lit by candlelight. Before him was a table, plated with food and drink. The seats that lined the table were sturdy-looking and thick.

It looked amazingly cozy, all things considered.

Kiibo pulled out a knife and cut his bindings. “Take a seat, the Master will be with you shortly”, he said, gesturing to the nearest chair. Shuichi didn't argue or question it, he simply sat, thankful the chair had a space in the back for his tail to go through.

Kiibo began examining everything on the table closely, occasionally moving things around or making small positional adjustments. “Master is very particular that things be in their place, as you will come to see”, he said.

Shuichi was mildly amused by this. His own master would forget her own hat while she was still wearing it at times. But he couldn't help but wonder…

When Kiibo's back was turned, Shuichi reached out and slightly turned a fork to an angle before quickly retracting his hand. As a captive, this small act of defiance was oddly satisfying.

Suddenly a door to the back off the room burst open and through it passed a tall and foreboding figure. Ornate black and purple robes graced the lean frame of this pale man.

His face was covered by hood and mask, leaving only his devious snake-like eyes visible. Strands of long black hair fell from the sides of his face. Even with so much hidden, Shuichi could tell that the man was smiling.

“Ah… the guest of honor has arrived”, the man said in a smooth and upbeat tone unfitting of his sinister appearance.

Kiibo rushed to pull out a seat for his master, and only the one closest to the door, directly opposite Shuichi, would do. The man gently sat down, crossed his legs and simply stared at the familiar for awhile.

“So you're the one… hmm… tell me, lonely wolf, do you know where you are?”, he asked with a casual malevolence.

Shuichi hesitated to speak, the man's aura was intimidating. “A long way from home…”, was all he could say in response.

“Indeed you are. And I'm very sorry for having to drag you all the way out here. But I assure you, once our business is concluded, you'll be free to go”, the man stated plainly.

“I… Really?”, Shuichi stammered. They had made such a show of kidnapping him, that he couldn't believe it would be that easy.

“Oh, forgive me. When I said ‘our’, I was referring of course to your young master. I wouldn't be surprised if she was planning to rescue you as we speak”, he said calmly.

Shuichi’s fists clenched. “What… do you want with my master?”, he asked, his tone unable to hide his rising frustration. This only seemed to amuse his captor though.

“Such loyalty… that is truly beautiful. But relax, I only require your master’s assistance in a little project… you know, from one mage to another. If all goes well, neither of you shall be harmed”, he explained with such… delight in his words.

“You're a mage? You don't look like anyone from the magistrate. You must be unregistered”, Shuichi said.

“Oh… so those of this era haven't been informed of my greatness… troubling, but that too, shall soon change…”, the man replied, talking more to himself than Shuichi.

Without warning, the man suddenly lifted himself out of his seat and floated gently above the table, magical energy eminating around him.

“I… am the Warlock of Westros. A sorcerer beyond any on your pathetic magistrate. A wielder of secret arts and forbidden knowledge and a lover of all aspects of humanity”, he boldly declared before gently lowering himself back to his chair.

“But you, can refer to me as Korekiyo”, he said with a chuckle.

It was an antique of a name. Not used for a long time, as far as Shuichi knew.

“What do you want with my master?”, he asked again, more bluntly. He was nervous, but it sounded like he wouldn't be hurt anytime soon.

“Oh that isn't for you to know. You're just the bait. But if your master is cooperative, neither of you have anything to worry about”, he answered, sipping tea from a cup lifted magically.

“If that's the case, why just take me? Why didn't you take her then? What was your objective last night?”, Shuichi demanded.

“Hm… I suppose we could've just taken her here by force… but that wouldn't do at all”, Korekiyo mused, his head tilted whimsically.

“I am no stranger to human affection… it is a force more powerful than magic itself in some ways. Simply put… I wanted her to lose you. I wanted her to feel the loneliness of separation and the fear of loss… it should serve to make her more willing to… cooperate”, he explained.

“That's--”, Shuichi was about to call out before the elegant man interrupted him with a soft yet poignant whisper.

“Deplorable? Perhaps… but it might bring me some comfort”, Korekiyo mused, fidgeting with an emblem on his cloak, seemingly speaking only to himself.

“Well I suppose that--”, Korekiyo began to say before his eyes darted to the side. Specifically, to the crooked fork Shuichi had moved just moments ago. Korekiyo glared at the homunculus beside him.

Kiibo only now took notice of the misplaced utensil. “Ah! B-But I was sure--”, be began.

“Sure of what? Sure that you cannot handle the simplest of tasks? Sure that you wish to sabotage my first impressions with a very important guest?”, Korekiyo said, his voice containing a tranquil anger.

“No! Master I assure you that I--”, Kiibo tried to argue. But the warlock would have none of it.

He raised his hand in a fierce gesture and Kiibo was violently plucked from the ground. He grabbed at his throat and started wheezing.

“You are proving once again, to be an eyesore and a mistake. Listen carefully so you do not continue to cause your master any grief”, Korekiyo warned as he glared into Kiibo's scared eyes.

“You are going to serve our guest his supper and escort him to his quarters. Once you're finished, you are going to sort toxins in the storeroom, do you understand? And you're not going to spill a single drop, are you?”, he asked with a sinister malevolence.

Kiibo shook his head urgently, his pale skin turning blue. Shuichi could only watch in terror as the warlock flung Kiibo against the wall with a loud thud. Kiibo gasped in pain before sliding down to the floor.

“Pick yourself up and get to it”, he command, walking casually past the coughing homunculus through the same door he entered from.

Shuichi didn't know what to make of the display he just witnessed. All he could think was about how all of that was his fault. He didn't know anything about Kiibo but still… watching that unfold was hard.

“A-Are you alright?”, Shuichi asked.

Kiibo pulled himself to his feet and brushed himself off. “Y-Yes… no need for alarm. This was entirely my fault afterall…”, he said, sounding disappointed in himself.

Shuichi really wanted to tell him that it wasn't, but figured that would only make his own situation worse. So despite how much it pained him to do so, he stayed quiet.

Kiibo served him food and drink without any further commentary. It was the most awkward meal Shuichi had ever had. Neither of them knew what to say, especially after that display.

When he said he was full, Kiibo escorted him through more grim-looking corridors until they reached what looked like a quaint guestroom. It wasn't bad, just a little dusty and worn.

For a prisoner, these are fairly comfortable accommodations.

“I'm locking the door. There's a lavatory over there if you need it. I'll check back in a few hours”, Kiibo said, locking Shuichi inside.

When his distant footsteps became inaudible, Shuichi sat on the bed and looked around. Rather chillingly, it had a close resemblance to his own room at the palace… only cold and unfamiliar.

That man called himself the Warlock of Westros… and given their travel time, that made sense. He must be in the war-torn nation of Westros. He hoped his master could figure that out.

But he wasn't sure her coming here was a great thing anymore. He didn't know what the warlock wanted with her, but it didn't sound good. Something big was happening here and the palace needed to know about it.

His face formed a faint, almost forced smile.

As a self-proclaimed detective, it was up to him to find out everything. And he would start by searching every nook and cranny of this room. After that, he'd find a way to sneak outside and explore his surroundings.

* * *

 

“I'm telling you! Himiko needs me to come inside!”, Tenko shouted at a pair of armored knights guarding the gates to the palace.

“And as I've told you, the Court Mage specifically told us not to let you in under any circumstances… literally twenty minutes ago when she came back in”, the guard said.

“And even if she hadn't, you've been blacklisted for the past year for multiple break-in attempts”, the other knight added.

“Aaah! This is just like you menaces to want to keep us apart!”, she cried, taking a fighting stance.

The guard sighed, “Please don't make us remove you by force again. It never ends well for anyone”.

“You wouldn't have to if you just let me in to see Himiko! In fact, you should let me move in! We could share a loft together and paint eachother’s nails and watch the sunset and--”, Tenko rambled on as more people came up behind her.

“Excuse me! Tenko! You aren't allowed at the palace, remember? Gonta once had to carry you out himself… not a good day”, Gonta said as he stopped to catch his breath from running up hill.

“Atua says you should turn back! There's nothing for you here”, Angie said, swinging back and forth.

“Pft, no God can keep me from helping Himiko!”, Tenko declared, jumping in place to face Angie.

Rantarou was the last to arrive, as he was only casually walking to the gate. “Wow, I haven't been here in a long time. Not since they inducted me into the hall of champions”, he remarked to himself.

“You all should just go home! The only ally Himiko needs is me!”, Tenko shouted proudly.

Gonta scratched his head in confusion, “Ah but… Gonta lives here”, he said.

A third knight came from beyond the gate, in his hands carrying a notice. “New orders men. Captain says we're to be on the lookout for a teenage girl with long, dark twin-tailed hair with fighting capabilities…”, the guard read off the sheet before all three knights turned to face Tenko.

Tenko pushed her fingers together nervously, “Aha… I'll throw you menaces if you keep staring…”, she whimpered.

One of the knights plucked a pair of handcuffs from the wall and approached Tenko.

“Good news. Looks like you are getting inside today. You're under arrest for suspicion of kidnapping and assault”, he stated firmly.

**CHAPTER SIX**

**END**


	7. Friend Or Fiend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N:I'm really sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I had a very busy end to last semester and was sick for the large part of winter break. Hopefully I'll be able to write more consistently with my new laptop. Hope you enjoy the chapter.)

**Chapter Seven**

**Friend or Fiend**

_ Five Years Ago… _

_ “Nyaa…”, Himiko grumbled as she took her first steps outside of the palace boundaries and into the capital city of Saishuu. She hadn’t been outside since they were taken in as children… well, younger children. And frankly, she had liked it that way. _

_ The fuzzy ears of the boy beside her twitched in response. “Master, what’s wrong?”, he asked in a concerned but upbeat tone. He had started to grow accustomed to his master’s moods.  _

_ “Nyaa… I’m not very good with crowds… they’re suffocating…”, she admitted. _

_ “But you’re the one who wanted to try that new lime cream tart”, he reminded her. _

_ “I-I’m having second thoughts… maybe we shoul--”, she was about to say, before he casually took her by the hand and led her forward. _

_ “If it’s something you want, I’ll help you get it”, Shuichi said as a matter of fact. _

_ Himiko’s cheeks turned pink as he slowly started walking forward. _

_ “See? This way you won’t get lost”, he added. _

_ As they made their way through the busy streets, Himiko tensed up every now and again… when gazes were turned towards the girl in the weird hat and the boy with a wolf’s tail. Her grip on Shuichi’s hand tightened without her even realizing it. _

_ They made their way to the confectionary shoppe, unaware that they were being followed. They waited in line, where Himiko was slightly intimidated by the teenage blond server who was casually tossing a knife around in his hand while munching on a cake.  _

_ Eventually, they ordered the tarts they came for from a peppy girl with peach-colored hair. The blond man gave them a scary glance, muttering how they had better like her sweets. The girl calmed him down with a pat to the head.  _

_ They took seats at an outside table, away from the bustling crowd inside. Shuichi persuaded an elderly couple to switch tables so they could sit in the shade of a big tree. It was hot out and he didn’t think his master would last with heat barring down on her. _

_ Himiko made a relaxed and cat-like expression after taking her first bite. It was perfectly creamy and just the right balance of sour and sweet. Even the sound of a crisp bite was enough to make anyone drool.  _

_ “You’re glad we came, huh?”, Shuichi asked, plucking his finger for residual cream.  _

_ “Nyaa… mhmhmhmm…”, was all the girl could murmur with a full mouth. _

_ “Heh, I’ll assume that’s a yes… you want me to get some lemonade?”, he asked. _

_ The young mage nodded enthusiastically, her eyes closed from sheer pleasure. The wolf boy hopped out of his seat and went back inside. Surely she’d be alright by herself for just a moment… _

_ In the bushes behind the tree, an excitable girl with short brown twintails was barely able to contain herself as she gazed at the mage’s adorable face taking another bite of creme lime tart. She had never seen anyone so cute in her entire life… it took every ounce of her restraint to not-- _

_ But when Himiko sleepily rubbed her eye with a casual yawn, that was the breaking point. _

_ The excitable girl leapt from the bushes and wrapped her arms around the mage as tight as she could. “Ooooooh! I just can’t take it anymore!”, she declared as she squeezed the girl. Himiko was so distraught she dropped the rest of her tart on the table in shock and began frantically shaking to escape. _

_ “Nyaaaa!! W-What is t-this!? W-Who are y-you!?”, she yelled as she struggled. _

_ “Aaaah! Stoooop! Your wriggling just makes you more adorable!”, the other girl shouted. Himiko tried pulling the girl’s arms away but it was no use. The excited girl started ecstatically rubbing her face against Himiko’s, and the poor mage only grew more confused and uncomfortable. _

_ “What is your name!? I have to know! Are you a real mage? Can you really do magic? Can you fly!? Can you turn gold into aluminum!?!”, she asked in rapid succession as she swung the mage back and forth in her vice grip hug. _

_ Himiko was so unnerved she could only focus in on the last part. “W-Who w-would want to d-d-do thaaaat!?”, she stammered. She started kicking at the table, hoping to force this unfamiliar person away from her. This only served to delight her tormenter. _

_ “Hnnng! That’s it! I can’t take anymooore! I’m taking you home with meeeee!”, the girl demanded as she started dragging Himiko away from the confectionary shoppe. The young mage tried to call for help, but the girl adjusted her arms to cover her mouth.  _

_ The loud girl carried the mage through several city blocks. It was quite the sight to behold, but none of the adults seemed to grasp the dubiousness of the situation. They just saw two kids playing some kind of bizarre game and diverted their attention elsewhere. Himiko wanted to scream but nothing came, she was simply too terrified.  _

_ She was taken to a more shady part of town, with far less people… less witnesses. The buildings were more run-down and the overall atmosphere was gloomier. Even the sky seemed to turn darker as they approached what looked like some sort of townhouse.  _

_ The girl brought Himiko inside and quickly turned and ran down the stairs and through a long and ominous hallway. She happily kicked open a heavy door with little effort and finally released the mage once they were inside. Himiko fell to the dusty ground with a thud and a cough before reeling her head up to look around.  _

_ It was a quaint living quarters with a large old rug covering most of the hardwood floor. A single bed to the side and various boxes filled with rather paradoxical items. On the one hand, there was a lot of weights and pads, stuff that looked like exercise equipment… but on the other hand, there were a lot of girly things like stuffed animals and dolls with elaborate outfits.  _

_ It was a bizarre combination the young mage had never seen before.  _

_ “W-Where am I? W-What’s g-going on?”, she stuttered out of fear. _

_ “This is where I live, silly! All by myself! Well, other students live here too but this is my room!”, the girl explained happily. _

_ “S-Students?”, Himiko asked, trying to take it all in. Just a moment ago she was enjoying a quiet snack and now she was thrust into a scary situation. _

_ “Yeah yeah! Neo-Aikido! Master has lots of students! We train together! Master took us all in! I’m sure Master would like you, too!”, she went off on a ramble. Himiko jumped to her feat and shook her head frantically.  _

_ “No! I don’t want them to like me! I d-don’t want to be here! W-Who even are you?”, she shouted, pointing a finger at the girl. The girl stared back blankly for a moment before grinning wildly and grabbing Himiko’s hands.  _

_ “Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t even tell you my name! I’m Tenko! Tenko is a student of Neo-Aikido!”, she stated plainly as if this was the first time she ever approached her.  _

_ “I don’t c-care about Nyokida or whatever! Why did you bring me here!?”, the mage demanded, building courage the best she could.  _

_ Tenko squeed at Himiko’s determined face and excitedly grabbed her cheeks and shook her from side to side. “Oooooooh! You’re soooooo cute! I love it! I love it!”, she exclaimed with absolute glee.  _

_ “Nyaaa! S-Stop it!”, she cried, pushing her captor away.  _

_ But Tenko did not relent, instead jumping forward and clutching the mage’s shoulders. “Okay so what’s your name!? Tell me, pleeeease! I bet it’s just as adorable as you!”, she begged as she rocked the poor girl back and forth excitedly.  _

_ “I-I-I’m… M-M-My n-name i-is Hi-Hi-.... Himikoooo!”, she admitted as she got somewhat dizzy from the shaking. Tenko froze in place for a brief instant and read the name off with her lips.  _

_ “Hi… mi… ko… Himiko! Himikooooo! It’s perfect! It’s so cute sounding! You are seriously the best!”, she yelled, wrapping her arms around the mage again in a tight hug. There was nothing she could do against this girl, who had surprising strength for her age.  _

_ “Aaah! But this hat! This hat that’s slightly too big for your head but it makes it so much cuter! You’re a real mage, right? You gotta be!”, she rambled more and more. _

_ Himiko pulled the hat over her face, not wanting to look at this girl.  _

_ “I’m j-just an apprentice…”, she said. _

_ “But you can still do magic, right? Oh, I love magic! Wizards used to come to Tenko’s old village all the time! Their fireworks were the greatest! And mages can do all sorts of things too, right? Ooooh, if magic and Neo-Aikido combined, it’d be the best thing ever!”, Tenko ranted, jumping up and down for joy.  _

_ She stopped for a minute and then turned on a dime and tackled Himiko to the ground, pinning her down by her arms. Himiko struggled to break free, but as usual, it was a fruitless effort.  _

_ “Himiko! We should be friends! No, not just friends! The best of friends! Best friends! We can combine our powers and just be… Oooooooh! You should move in with me! We can do everything together! I can teach you Neo-Aikido! You can show me your magic!”, Tenko went on and on, her voice becoming rapturous and invigorated.  _

_ “We can brush eachother’s hair and bake sweets and go exploring the forest together and go swimming and hold hands and train together and go on dates and try on new outfits and play games and talk about our feelings and snuggle and yes! We are going to be the best of friends!”, she just kept going and going. Her mind went at a million miles an hour. _

_ Himiko winced in fear at the raving girl pinning her down. Tenko’s face was beat red and starting to sweat with sheer exuberance. It was an extremely unnerving sight. Tenko gazed down at Himiko’s desperate face and broke out in a huge smile. _

_ “Hnng! You’re… just… so… cuuuuute! I want to be your best friend forever and ever! I’ll protect you from anything! I want to fend off bullies and give you massages and hug you when you’re sad and cuddle with you deep into the night! I want to scrub your back in the bath and dry your hair and have a pillow fight because we can’t get to sleep! And I’ll cook you breakfast in the morning and watch your adorable face as you eat!”, she shouted off idea after idea. _

_ It was like a very lonely girl was listing off everything she’d ever fantasized about if she had a friend… _

_ But of course, Himiko was in no position to see it that way. She was too busy being terrified out of her mind by a stranger who had abducted her and was now practically drooling on top of her while raving like a lunatic. She was scared beyond belief and just wanted to go home to the palace… she regretted ever leaving. _

_ “Hnnnnnng! I can’t wait! I can’t wait! I can’t wait!”, Tenko started muttering to herself over and over and over. She was far too lost in her own little world to hear anything in reality. In truth, the other Neo-Aikido students didn’t like her very much at all. They thought she was weird, loud and violent. And in all fairness, they weren’t wrong. _

_ She craved nothing more than an adorable best friend she could share everything with. _

_ Himiko, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to cry and retreat into a shell and never come out again.  _

_ “Oh! I know! We should try on eachother’s clothes! That’s what friends do, right? Yeah! Yeah!”, Tenko proclaimed energetically as she started unbuttoning her gi top. Her arms now unpinned, Himiko crawled backwards frantically until she smashed her head into the wall behind her.  _

_ “A-Are y-you c-crazy!? No! I-I’m not d-doing that!”, Himiko protested.  _

_ Tenko slipped off her frilly skirt and crawled forward, “What’s the matter? We’re both girls, aren’t we? Don’t be so shy!”, she said as she plucked the witch’s hat off Himiko’s head and tried it on.  _

_ Just then, the door flew open and a concerned boy shouted, “Master? Are you okay? What’s goin--”, he began but stopped abruptly when he saw an unfamiliar girl in her underwear, wearing his master’s hat. Shuichi’s mind drew an absolute blank as he stood there dumbfounded, his face turning red.  _

_ Tenko, who was just as stumped, instinctively grabbed a nearby training pad and threw it at the boy’s head. “Menaces aren’t allowed in here!”, she shouted angrily. Shuichi might’ve dodged had he been in any cognizant state of mind, but he simply allowed himself to be knocked off his feet.  _

_ “S-Shuichi!”, the young mage called as she crawled over to him. _

_ “H-Himiko! Get away from that menace! I’ll protect you!”, Tenko shouted, hastily putting her clothes back on and dropping the hat to the floor. But instead it was Himiko who took a reluctantly defensive stance in front of her familiar.  _

_ “H-He’s not a menace! He’s my friend!”, she stammered, still very much shocked by all that had happened. Tenko looked simultaneously flabbergasted and enraged.  _

_ “Oh no! The menace already has you under hypnosis, doesn’t he? Break free, Himiko! You’re a mage, aren’t you?”, she declared in a fighting stance. Himiko grabbed her hat from the floor and angrily tucked it on her head, helping her familiar to his feet.  _

_ “A-Are you okay, Shuichi?”, she asked. _

_ “Ha… Y-Yeah, I’m fine… Master… just very… very confused”, he replied, clutching his head. It was bleeding a little from being slammed on the floor. Himiko turned and shouted at the other girl in an uncharacteristically loud voice.  _

_ “You hurt my friend! I hate you!”, she screamed, helping Shuichi to the door.  _

_ “H-Himiko? Wait!”, Tenko cried, but as she was about to stop her, several palace knights approached and blocked her path. It seemed Shuichi did not come alone. Tenko reluctantly admitted defeat after being restrained for a brief time by a far stronger knight.  _

_ Himiko took her familiar to Angie’s hut, where his injury was healed up in no time. Even so, the incident left a mark on Himiko, and she did not leave the palace walls for some time. Every now and again, she would be convinced to go to the city, but every time she was spotted and harrassed by the delusional Neo-Aikido girl.  _

_ Eventually, she stopped leaving the palace altogether. She would ask Shuichi or Gonta to run errands for her in the city, and Angie had to get special permission to visit her inside the palace. She retreated further into her shell and became something of a shut-in.  _

_ Tenko attempted to break into the palace on several occasions, but was promptly excised and eventually banned from entering. That is, until she was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and assault years later… _

* * *

 

_ Present Day. _

Himiko followed Kokichi down a darkened spiral staircase alit only by torchlight. They were on their way to the palace archives, to try and pinpoint where Shuichi’s kidnappers may have taken him. 

“Nyaa… how much farther?”, she whined. 

“Just a bit… but man, spiral staircases always seem like they could go on forever, huh?”, Kokichi jested as he waved the torch ominously. 

Eventually, they reached the end. In front of them was a large wooden door with rusted bronze trimmings. “Now, I could pick the lock myself… but what a fantastic opportunity for you to finally use some magic, right?”, he teased. 

Himiko gave him a disapproving glance, but ultimately sighed and pulled out her wand. She made a specific gesture and muttered, “Aes incura”. The old bronze lock made a scratchy clicking sound at once, and Kokichi jiggled the knob. 

Pushing the door open, he made a slight faux-bow. “After you”, he said sarcastically. 

Himiko entered the pitch black room, but as expected could not see much of anything. Kokichi patted her on the back, “Gonna have to double down on that magic today”, he said. She rolled her eyes and flicked her wand yet again. 

“Elun Asor”, she said, and a small glowing orb was produced from the tip of her wand. It grew in size and flew towards the center of the room, illuminating it in a faint orange light not unlike a torch. 

Speaking of which, Kokichi placed his torch in a holder by the door and walked forward. Rows and rows of bookshelves lined the small room, with a large table in the center. There were maps and charts along the walls, and even a globe to the side. 

“What are we even looking for?”, Himiko asked, taking in her surroundings. 

“Westros was at war with us for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest was a black magic cult. I did some research at the library and found out it was called the Shroud of Malvira, supposedly named for the demon goddess they worshipped. But I couldn’t find anything more specific than that”, Kokichi explained. 

“You think the Shroud of Malvira is behind this?”, she asked.

“According to the history books, that should be impossible. But if there are black magic users coming from Westros, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say there’s a connection”, he answered as he started pulling through stacks of papers. 

“Old wartime maps should have marked locations of their activity. I might not know much about magic, but I know that sorcerers don’t let preparations go to waste if they don’t have to”, he said. 

“Nyaa… that’s true. Different places have different levels of magical energy… mages tend to gather around such sites. Setting up in a new location would be a pain… if someone was trying to perform black magic illegally, they’d go to old sites that are already tainted with power”, Himiko added.

“Exactly my thinking”, Kokichi said as he laid out a few withered maps and charts.

They spent a good hour examining these documents thoroughly before Kokichi came to a conclusion. “I’d bet money on them being based… here”, he said, pointing to a specific marker on the map. 

“Nyaa? What’s that?”, Himiko inquired.

“It’s called the Inverted Pyramid. Instead of jutting out of the ground, it’s built into the ground itself. Supposedly it was demolished decades ago, but if the basic structure is intact, a powerful mage could easily rebuild the interior”, Kokichi explained.

“Yeah… they probably could”, she commented.

“These maps don’t tell us what’s actually on the ground on top of it nowadays, but the entire base behind underground is a perfect way to hide their activity. Depending on what’s hiding it, nobody would ever suspect a thing”, he concluded. 

“And look, it’s not too far from the border either… just beyond this forest here”, Himiko pointed out. 

“Exactly, now you’re getting it. I can’t think of anywhere else they’d be able to maintain secrecy, even from their own shambled government. That has to be where they’ve taken your boyfriend”, he said in a serious tone. 

Hope rising, Himiko nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah! I think you’re ri-- Hey!”, she exclaimed, elbowing him in the ribs. 

Kokichi rolled up the map. “Now we just need to cross reference this was a more current map, and we’ll see exactly where you need to go”, he stated plainly. The two of them started heading back up the stairs, when Himiko felt a twinge in the back of her neck and froze in her tracks. 

“Hm? What’s the matter? You need to use the little mage’s room?”, Kokichi joked.

“W-Why… Why is she here!?”, Himiko stammered as she pushed him aside and ran up the stairs. He quickly followed after her. 

“Woah! Wait a minute! Why is who here? And how do you know they’re here?”, he asked, hopping up several stairs at once. 

“I put up magical wards around the entrance hall! They’re set to alert me if she ever breaks into the palace again!”, Himiko shouted back. 

“Ah, your old stalker, huh? How is she, by the by? Still throwing pervy tourists off bridges?”, he asked jovially. 

“Nyaa! She shouldn’t be allowed in the palace! Something’s wrong!”, she yelled. 

They made it back up the stairs and ran through the hallways just in time to see Tenko being dragged through the entrance hall, bound in handcuffs. Escorted by a pair of burly knights and followed by a handsome adventurer, a ditsy priestess and an unnecessarily muscular gardener. 

Himiko and Kokichi stood there in confusion, watching the energetic girl struggle to escape and arguing for her supposed innocence with the guards. Kokichi stroked his chin, “Well yeah, something is rather weird about this, huh?”.

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**END**

  
  
  
  



	8. As Luck Would Have It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Sorry for the impromptu break in updating this fic, but I haven't been slacking off! In the time since the last chapter, I've written two post-canon V3 oneshots and the first chapter of my original killing game story, Danganronpa EX, with an original cast and plotline. I'd appreciate it a lot if you checked those out! You can find them on this same account. Please, lemme know what you think. And without further adieu, let's jump in.)

**Chapter Eight**

**As Luck Would Have It**

“These are very serious charges…”, the Queen spoke aloud to a small audience. The knights had finished giving their testimony, having dropped a handcuffed and agitated Tenko before her majesty. They would have to be serious charges indeed for someone to be brought directly to the throne room.

“Aye. She fits the physical profile the Captain described and has a longstanding history of violence towards kingdom officers”, one of the knights explained. Standing further in the back were the soon-to-be rescue party, quickly joined by Himiko and Kokichi.

“What’s going on here?”, she asked the group.

It was Gonta who attempted to explain the situation. “Guards think she attacked Kaito and the other knights last night”, he stated plainly. Himiko looked at the kneeling martial artist with a scowl. Tenko was always causing trouble whenever she showed up and Himiko had no reason to believe this time was any different.

“She seems capable enough but could she really take on all those trained knights?”, Rantarou suggested, stroking his chin. 

“Atua says he can tell us the answer… for a small fee”, Angie added.

“No thanks. My limit is one extortion a day”, Rantarou replied.

Himiko turned her head away. “Let’s go everyone. We know where we’re going so let’s start preparing to leave”, she announced. The others looked at her with a mixed bag of expressions. 

“Huh? But what about Tenko?”, Gonta asked.

“Nyaa, if she’s locked up here, that’s the best outcome”, she replied.

“But Tenko says she wants to help us. Rescuing Shuichi could be dangerous, another fighter could be a great help”, Gonta argued.

“I don’t want her help!”, Himiko argued back. Gonta took a step back in surprise by the outburst. It seems as though said outburst was overheard by the people closer to the throne. 

“Oh! Himiko! It’s Himiko! Come on, she’ll vouch for me! I didn’t beat up those meances! ...This time…”, Tenko shouted in her… defense?

“I don’t think that’s helping her case”, Rantarou commented.

“Well, Himiko? You know this girl, don’t you? What do you think of all this?”, the Queen asked aloud. Himiko sighed, being put on the spot like this was exactly what she wanted to avoid. Her precious familiar was in trouble and they wanted her opinion on… her? Filled with frustration, she began to vent.

“You wanna know what I think? I can’t leave the palace without worrying she’s going to start touching and drooling all over me! She’s broken into my room atleast three times in the past month  _ that I know of _ . She says horrible things about Shuichi and has thrown him around more times than I can count! And if she had anything to do with this, I wouldn’t be surprised!”, Himiko spat out.

The chamber was silent. 

“B-But… I didn’t do it… Himiko! You have to--!”, Tenko begged.

Himiko turned away. She didn’t have to do anything.

“Well… given all of that, she should definitely remain in custody until further evidence comes to light”, the Queen decreed. 

“Excuse me? May I speak? Your majesty?”, Rantarou called out from the back, slowly making his way forward and bowing courteously. The Queen was taken aback slightly by this forwardness, but allowed it.

“Given her capabilities, and the urgency of this mission… perhaps she would be put to better use with us? Rather than being stuck here”, he rationalized. Everyone was startled by this suggestion, Tenko herself most of all.

“You…”, the Queen began, “You’re the great adventurer, Rantarou… are you not?”.

“That’s right. I’ve been contracted to aid in this rescue mission. I don’t claim to be in charge or anything… but I do have experience to back up my words”, he went on. Himiko was too bewildered to challenge this.

“And you’re suggesting that we allow a prime suspect to accompany you?”, the Queen inquired curiously, putting her hand to her chin worryingly. Rantarou shrugged as he adjusted the cuffs of his shirt.

“The only evidence is a similar physical description, correct? Hardly worthy of outright conviction by itself. I say… we give her chance to prove her innocence. And in the process, she might be useful against whatever enemies await us”, he explained.

“Nya--No!”, Himiko shouted, “I don’t want her anywhere near me! I don’t trust her one bit!”. Rantarou crossed his arms and shook his head… he understood, but all the same…

“Don’t you think it would be best to have all the help we can on this mission? Isn’t your precious friend in danger here?”, he asked. The question pierced Himiko’s heart and she winced as a result. Of course… she would do anything to rescue Shuichi but…

“B-But she could be on the enemy’s side! If anything, bringing her along could put Shuichi in more danger!”, she argued. Tenko shot up from her crouched position, a knight waving a spear in her direction to make her sit back down.

“I-I’m not an enemy! I’d never be an enemy of Himiko’s!”, she cried desperately.

Rantarou thought it over briefly before replying, “Would you trust my intuition on this? If I’m wrong… I’ll take full responsibility. But my adventurer sense is telling me that this is the right move here”. 

Himiko was about to snap back at him. About to refuse the idea with all the words she could muster. She rejected it, the very thought of it. She didn’t want Tenko’s help. She didn’t--

‘ _ A detective has to be somewhat wary of everyone, true… but that doesn’t mean just condemning people blindly _ ’, a voice rang out in her head.

‘ _ How did you know it wasn’t Kokichi this time? _ ’, her own voice echoed.

‘ _ I didn’t. I never know in advance… I try to keep all possibilities in mind. Kokichi pulls a lot of pranks, of course. But there’s always the possibility he had nothing to do with it. And until the evidence claims otherwise, that’s a possibility I can’t ignore out of bias _ ’, the voice replied.

‘ _ But it’s like… almost always him _ ’, she had said.

‘ _ Heh, yeah… nine times out of ten, it is just as you’d think. But I don’t think Kokichi ever means any serious harm, despite what he might say… and because of that, I always believe in the possibility of his innocence… atleast until he gives me enough reason not to _ ’, the voice answered.

‘ _ Nyaa… I can’t think like that… _ ’, she had lamented.

‘ _ Yeah, you can be pretty stubborn, Master… but that’s why I’m here, right? I’ll stay calm and rational, so you don’t need to worry _ ’, he had told her.

But… he wasn’t here right now. He wasn’t… but his words came back to Himiko clear as day. As if the power that bonded them still let him influence her… even though they were separated by such distance. 

She took a deep breath. She still hated the idea… but Shuichi needed her to be calm and rational right now. And so even though it pained her, she would take his words to heart.

“Fine… but she’s your responsibility”, Himiko stated bluntly.

Everyone in the room was surprised by her words, Rantarou especially, who seemed to have already prepared more counter-arguments that were now useless. In the back of the chamber, Kokichi appeared surprised for a brief moment, but quickly smirked as if he understood everything. 

“Well… if you’re quite sure… I suppose it might be worth a shot”, the Queen concluded, nodding to her guards. They promptly removed Tenko’s restraints, to her surprise. Rantarou reached into a satchel tied to his hip and pulled out what appeared to be a black choker necklace. It had a thin emerald in the center that glowed faintly.

“This will keep her under control. It’s a type of magical servant collar, if she misbehaves, I can incapacitate her with this”, he said as he moved to place it around Tenko’s neck. She winced slightly at having a menace approach her so casually but otherwise didn’t complain.

This made Himiko a bit more comfortable with her decision… only a bit though.

“A-And w-where exactly are we going?”, Tenko stammered, her voice full of confusion, topped with a slight tinge of bitterness. This was when Kokichi stepped forward in front of the Queen to announce what he had deduced in the archives.

“You guys are heading to an old Westros cult site… the Inverted Pyramid”, he declared.

Queen Kirumi covered her shocked face with her hand, not sure she could believe what she was hearing. “I thought it was long destroyed… are you telling me our new enemies have made their home in… that place?”, she inquired.

“I can’t be sure, but looking at the evidence… that’s what I think”, Kokichi answered.

The Queen was stunned but quickly attempted to regain composure. “My grandfather met his end there, in the war many years ago… to think it would come back yet again to threaten the kingdom…”, her thoughts trailed off. 

There was a long silence. Until the great adventurer spoke.

“The sun is setting… I suggest we prepare tonight and leave first thing in the morning… the five of us, correct?”, Rantarou said, counting the members of the rescue party in his mind. 

The Great Adventurer… The Overly-Excitable Martial Artist… The Unnecessarily Muscular Gardener… The Self-Appointed High Priest of Atua… and The Young Mage In Training. That was the party that would set out to rescue Shuichi from these dark cultists.

“Yes, go and see Tsumugi… she’ll equip you with the proper attire for this journey”, the Queen ordered, dismissing them.

* * *

 

_ Twenty-one… twenty-two… twenty-three… _

Shuichi moved his body up and down rhythmically as sweat started to drip off his brow. It had really been too long since he had done this and he was starting to regret it. Still, he knew he would feel pretty satisfied when he was finished. 

_ Thirty-two… thirty-three… thirty-four… _

He could almost hear Kaito chewing him out… he missed training with him. He had been too concerned with his master’s magical evaluations to hang out with Kaito lately… and now, well, he was too concerned with being a hostage of some kind. 

_ Forty-five… forty-six… forty-seven… _

It was common for prisoners to take up exercise… kept their minds off of more depressing thoughts and gave them something to do. Something to strive for, one supposed. But Shuichi had little intention of serving out whatever sentence he’d gained. He just needed the right push… to start investigating. 

He fell to the floor at his fiftieth push-up, breathing hard. Tired as he was however, he could feel the blood rushing through his body… his brain as well, was kicking into gear. 

As he began to catch his breath, his wolf ears twitched. He could just barely hear something… voices in the distance. He crawled over, next to the door of his room and leaned against it. His enhanced wolf-like hearing… might now come in handy.

He could hear… a deep voice… a familiarly deep voice… he knew this voice…

“Be careful, you fools”, the voice said, echoing slightly throughout the halls. 

“Yessir, boss”, a pair of gruff voices replied.

“The client wants these enchanted artifacts delivered undamaged and that’s what we’re going to do. Carry them to the storage room and don’t drop anything. It’s down there and to the left. I’m going to have a chat with him”, the deep voice commanded. 

Unmistakable… that was the voice of the stout man that held Shuichi down the other night. The other voices must be his lackeys… speaking of which, Shuichi could hear their erratic footsteps heading in his direction. He could also discern a heavy shaking sound… they were carrying large sacks, he imagined. 

But then something unusual happened. They stopped right at his door and started fiddling with the lock. Shuichi quickly rolled underneath the bed in a panic, not understanding why they were making this detour. 

The door swung open and two gruffians, which in this instance meant gruff ruffians, came inside and dumped a pair of large brown sacks onto the floor. They then turned around and left, slamming the door behind them with a thud. He thought he heard one of them grumble about not being paid enough.

Shuichi ran through the possibilities in his head… he remembered turning left twice when he was brought to this room… which would mean this room was on the right hand side of the hallway. Those gruffians must’ve gotten the rooms mixed up, the storage area was on the other side!

What did they say was in those sacks? Enchanted artifacts? Shuichi realized his opportunity… he might be able to find something useful before someone realized the mixup. He crawled over and starting digging through the sacks.

There were many strange objects and trinkets inside, most of which were unknown to Shuichi. He was looking for anything he might’ve read about in the library’s tomes. Something he’d know how to use… more or less. Any of these objects might be useful, but without knowing their properties, they might as well be useless.

Finally, he saw something familiar. A shimmering white orb near the bottom of the sack… he grabbed it and admired its shine. It was an Astral Marble… a fairly common enchanted item. There were even a few back at the Palace for meditation purposes. 

In his current situation, he couldn’t have asked for a better item as far as investigation was concerned. An Astral Marble allowed its user to project their spirits beyond their bodies… it was perfect. He could gather information without even leaving his room! 

As much as he wanted to try it right away, he couldn’t risk being discovered if someone came back looking for these sacks. He had to wait until they were gone… and as luck would have it, he started hearing the tapping of footsteps approaching the door. Again, without thinking, Shuichi rolled under the bed and slowed his breathing.

He saw a pair of tiny polished boots walk up to the sacks of enchanted items, followed by the sound of a heavy sigh. “Those idiots… have a long way to go”, a deep voice said, full of more disappointment than anger. Without what appeared to be minimal effort, he hoisted the two sacks, both of which were as large as the stout man himself, and walked out the door.

He was unexpectedly strong… 

Crawling out from under the bed, he pulled himself to his feet. He felt for the marble in his pocket, assuring himself that it was really still there. He figured the best chance to use it would be after Kiibo’s next check-in. That would guarantee him a solid period of time where he wouldn’t be discovered. All he need do… was wait.

* * *

 

The thuds and whacks of wooden swords against metal filled the training fields as Kaito, the Knight Captain of the Palace, sat off to the side observing his recruits. Normally he would be making the rounds, correcting mistakes and praising successes… but his heart just wasn’t in it that day.

It wasn’t the pain of his injury that made him slump in his chair. It was everything that was happening around the Palace, and how little he could do about it. He would’ve liked nothing more than to help save Shuichi… but he knew his place was here.

But still he-- that was when his trail of thought was interrupted. His vision blackened as a chippy voice called out behind him. “Guess whooooo?”, it said with a joking lisp. Kaito swatted the air behind him with an annoyed grunt.

“Gah! Knock it of, Kokichi!”, he growled as the boy leapt backward, taking his hands off Kaito’s eyes.

“Aww… how’d you know?”, he asked with a wide grin.

Kaito slowly leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms behind his head. “Tch, nobody else around here would do something like that…”, he mumbled. Kokichi snuck up and poked the man’s side with a giggle. 

“Ow! That fuckin’ hurts, ya know!”, he said, swatting the boy away again.

“Wow… that mystery girl sure did a number on you, huh?”, Kokichi taunted.

“Tch! That’s none of your business. And stop touching me, geez”, Kaito replied dismissively.

“Hey! That airheaded priest girl is here, you know? Why don’t you just have her heal you up?”, Kokichi suggested, putting a finger to his face.

Kaito shuddered slightly, “No thanks, all that chanting and glowing crap freaks me out… I’ll just stick to the tonic…”, he answered, referring to an alchemic healing remedy. Kokichi shook his head and sighed, typical Kaito and his oddly selective fear of the magical.

“But hey, that reminds me… did that girl say anything that might indicate who she was? Anything at all?”, Kokichi asked, his tone suddenly dropping. Kaito was taken aback.

“Huh? Why do you care, anyway?”, he asked gruffly.

“Hey now… I want to discover the truth as much as anyone. I’m no good on an adventure but even I can help in my own way…”, Kokichi stated in a whimpering cadence. Kaito scratched his head in confusion but simply sighed in resignation.

“Nah… Like, I dunno… before I got there, she was talking with Kaede… talking like they knew eachother, come to think of it”, Kaito reminisced. 

Kokichi nodded, “What were they talking about?”.

“Not sure, I couldn’t really make it out from that far away… the only thing I heard clearly was when she said something like… ‘The Order is absolute’... whatever that means”, he said.

“The Order is absolute?”, Kokichi parroted. Kaito nodded.

“Hm…”, Kokichi stroked his chin playfully before turning away, “Thanks, Kaito! I think you’ve just given me a wonderful clue!”, he announced with a skip in his step.

“Huh? H-Hey! What are you up to!?”, Kaito demanded, turning around a little too sharply and hurting his ribs. 

Kokichi brushed him off, “Silly Kaito… I’m never ‘up to’ anything… I hate tricks and lies, you know…”, he said as if he’d rehearsed it a hundred times. Kaito scoffed, not believing a damn thing he said. Still… a clue? The Order? Hm...

* * *

 

“Wow, Gonta! You look so dashing in that!”, Tsumugi cheered as she tightened the last button on his shirt. Gonta stood in the center of the fitting room, a loose pale yellow shirt covering a thin chain-mail vest. A pair of baggy brown overalls completed the, as Tsumugi put it, ‘wholesome farm boy turned hero’ look… except for the pair of boots sitting by themselves in the corner.

Gonta didn’t like shoes. 

“Uh, thanks…”, Gonta stammered, embarrassed by praise. 

“It’s perfect! Oh! And I think you should take these too! I think they’d really compliment your fighting style!”, Tsumugi said, handing him a pair of bronze knuckle-dusters. Gonta took them with extreme hesitation and an unsure nod.

“Gonta don’t want to hurt anyone… but guys who took Shuichi are bad guys, right?”, he asked innocently.

“Oh yes! Super bad guys! Your kingdom is danger, Gonta! You have to protect your home!”, Tsumugi proclaimed excitedly, like she was talking about some grand epic novel or play. Gonta too, was strangely getting into it.

“Y-Yeah! Gonta gonna save Shuichi! Gonta gonna help friends! Save home!”, he chanted, boosting his own confidence. 

“That’s the spirit, Gonta!”, Tsumugi chirped.

Suddenly, a figure went flying across the room as Tenko let out a battle cry. Rantarou slammed onto the floor, knocking over some of Tsumugi’s sewing equipment. “This menace was about to run off with my clothes! No doubt to fulfill some skeevy fantasy!”, Tenko declared. 

“Hey! I was just going to have them washed for you!”, he said defensively.

“Hmph! Just an excuse for fondle a girl’s underwear, I bet!”, she retorted.

Without skipping a beat, she turned her attention to Tsumugi. “But thanks for the new gi, Ms. Tsumugi! It’s much cuter than my old one!”, she exclaimed happily. She was wearing a low-cut short-sleeved gi top, dyed in complimentary earth tones. Along with a simple but layered green skirt and socks. 

“It was no trouble… you have a rather peculiar fashion sense, but I’m happy to accomodate”, Tsumugi said a little nervously after witnessing her throw a man across the room. Again, with no hesitation, Tenko approached the young mage who was sitting off to the side.

“Right, Himiko? Don’t I lo--”, she began before she suddenly fell to the floor, clutching at her collar. Himiko sighed, relieved by the intervention.

Rantarou, who had gotten back on his feet, touched a small gemstone on his bracelet. “Remember what we agreed upon? You’re not to bother her”, he said with a faint smile. He was enjoying his little moment of payback. 

“Aaaagh! I get it! I get it!”, Tenko shouted. Rantarou let go of the gem with a nod as Tenko hopped back to her feet. 

“Why do we even need this menace anyway!? I can do anything Himiko needs by myself!”, Tenko boasted. Rantarou couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“They don’t call me a great adventurer for no reason, you know. I’m pretty capable”, he stated as a matter of fact. Tenko scoffed and crossed her arms defiantly.

“Please! I can do anything better than you! I have the power of Neo-Aikido!”, she declared with pride, striking a battle stance. 

“Oh yeah? What can you do with that, exactly?”, he asked.

“Anything you set your heart to!”, was her stock response. 

“Is that so? I’d like to see you prove it”, he challenged.

“Of course! I never back down from a challenge!”, Tenko said.

“Tell you what, if you can beat me in a sparring match, I’ll take the collar off”, Rantarou said with no irony. Tenko’s heart leapt at the words.

“Wha!? R-Really?”, she stammered.

“Yep. I’m a man of my word. But if you lose…”, he said, placing a finger to his chin, pondering his options. 

“If you lose, you must abandon your creed and become my disciple”, he proclaimed.

“Huh? You can’t possibly be serious! Abandon Neo-Aikido to train under a disgraceful menace!? I would never!”, Tenko argued. Rantarou simply waved his finger at her. 

“Ah, but you never back down from a challenge, right?”, he reminded her. 

There was a pained look of conflict on Tenko’s face as she put two and two together. 

“Maybe you shouldn’t accept ultimatums until you’ve heard the terms…”, Tsumugi commented from the sidelines.

Tenko shook her head and snapped to a different stance, “Pfft! It doesn’t matter! Because my Neo-Aikido will never lose to you! I’ll fight you anytime, anywhere!”, she concluded, trying to convince herself most of all.

“Fine, let’s head to the top of the tower. I think you’ve wrecked this room enough”, he said, marching off in the direction of the stairwell. Tenko followed him with aggressive footsteps, leaving the rest of the party lost and confused.

“Well… they certainly have some kind of dynamic, that’s for sure”, Tsumugi pointed out.

“Nyaa… just watching them is exhausting… I’m going to bed”, Himiko declared, pulling herself out of her seat and wobbling off. It had been a long day… 

As she walked down the darkened halls of the palace, she suddenly felt very lonely. She missed her familiar… who was always by her side. The halls felt so much bigger without him, somehow. She wanted to leave right that second… but know she needed to rest. But how was she going to sleep with this terrible longing in her heart.

That was when she heard the patter of footsteps come from behind.

“Himiko!”, a chipper voice called out.

She turned around sluggishly to see a tan-skinned girl approach her. “Nyaa… what do you want, Angie?”, she asked, rubbing her eye.

“Atua knows what troubles you, Himiko…”, she began ominously, digging into her deep pockets and pulling out a small wooden talisman. 

“What is that?”, the young mage inquired.

“It is the blessing of Atua himself! He ordered me to present it to you, so you may sleep well tonight, knowing he is watching over you”, Angie said, handing it to her.

“Atua did?”, Himiko asked.

Angie nodded happily, “He knows you’re worried about your friend, but it is alright! You have his holy vessel with you, so everything will work out!”, she explained, pointing her index fingers into her cheeks, signifying herself as the vessel.

Himiko looked down at the crudely carved talisman… Angie said it was all Atua’s idea but she didn’t quite believe that. “T-Thank you, Angie… Ah wait… tell Atua I said thanks too”, she stammered out.

Angie nodded and skipped off back down the hall. 

Clutching the talisman in her hand, Himiko didn’t feel quite as lonely as before.

Meanwhile, atop the tower… a certain brawl was about to commence…

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**END**

 


	9. Secrets In The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: This series is alternating updates with my new original killing game story, Danganronpa EX. If you haven't checked it out, I'd encourage you to do so. You can find it on this same account. Without further adieu, here's the new chapter.)

**Chapter Nine**

**Secrets In The Dark**

The pair stood atop the tower as the night winds howled and the moonlight broke through the darkened clouds. Tenko jumped back and forth in place excitedly, as she normally did before a fight. But to her this was not just any fight, it was a battle to prove the worth of her Neo-Aikido.

The top of the tower was a large circular stone floor with a short barrier wrapped around. With the floor-door to the stairs closed, there were no gaps to worry about. It was a most serious, and some might even claim overdramatic setting for such a fight to take place. But that’s just how these things were done.

Rantarou began explaining the terms of engagement as he performed some basic and almost disinterested-looking stretches. 

“No weapons, obviously no magic. No shots to the eyes or throat and no pulling hair… tempting as that might be with you”, he said, staring at her overly long twirls as they flapped in the air she squatted up and down.

“Ha! Neo-Aikido doesn’t do any of that disgraceful stuff!”, she declared.

“First to pin down the opponent wins, any objections?”, he concluded.

“Just remember you have to take off their stupid collar when I win!”, Tenko shouted with a dramatic pointing gesture. Rantarou scratched his head in confusion… when?

“You know, even if I take it off, the little mage isn’t gonna like it”, he mused.

“Like a filthy menace like you would know what Himiko likes! I happen to be her best friend, I’ll have you know!”, she shot back with a prideful pose.

“Oh? When did this happen?”, he stated with genuine surprise.

“Grrrr! Shut up! Just start the match!”, she replied angrily, snapping into a fighting stance. He sighed and crossed his arms with a nod. 

“Alright, let’s begin in three, two… one…”, he mumbled.

There was a long pause as the two of them just stood there.

“A-Aren’t you going to attack?”, she taunted, switching her legs back and forth.

“Why would I? I can tell just by looking that your style is reactive”, he commented.

“Waaah!? How’d you know that!?”, she stammered in shock, completing falling out of her battle stance.

Rantarou grinned and chuckled to himself, “You just told me”, was his only reply.

Tenko gritted her teeth. She had allowed herself to be fooled by a menace!

“Heh! You’re right… but you’ll never win if you don’t attack!”, she proclaimed.

“Neither will you”, was the obvious response.

Tenko clenched her fists in frustration of this apparent stalemate. He was just standing there with his arms folded casually… with that detached and bored expression on his face. Tenko was starting to get irritated by his above-it-all attitude. 

“What is this!? Didn’t you come here to fight!? What are you even doing!?”, she yelled out to him from across the roof.

“Hm…”, Rantarou purred as his gaze intensified. 

“W-What!? Don’t just stare, you creep!”, she snapped.

“I’m just curious how you fight with those… you’re really stacked for someone so athletic”, he said, staring intently at Tenko’s chest. 

Tenko leapt back and crossed her arms in front of her body. 

“Gaaah! Did you bring me up here just to oggle me!? Such classic menace behavior when we’re trying to have a fight!”, she cried in shock. 

But he wasn’t paying attention to her shouting. Instead he was holding a hand out and making a vague squeezing gesture at himself. 

“I bet it’d fill my entire hand… amazing”, he muttered to himself.

“I c-can still h-hear you, ya know!”, she shouted.

With each twitch of his fingers, Tenko’s brow furrowed slightly until she finally had enough. She shook her head for resolve and charged at him at breakneck speed. She was gonna rush in and throw him to the ground before he could even--

With a simple sidestep, Rantarou had avoided her charge. Not to be deterred, she stopped dead in her tracks and pivoted around to deliver a momentum-filled kick. Effortlessly, he leapt back out of the way. 

Having goaded her into action, Rantarou had a satisfied smirk on his face.

Tenko leapt to close the distance and reached her arms out to grab him by the shoulders for a powerful knee attack… if he dodged, she could always attempt another kick. But he didn’t this time. He simply raised his arms and thrust them out sideways to knock away hers before stooping low for a tackle. 

He wrapped his arms around her midriff and pushed forward with intent to pin her down. She twisted her body around to break free and used the motion to create a sweeping kick, which forced him to jump back. 

Hopping back to upright posture, she quickly dove in with a straightforward roundhouse. She expected him to block, but instead caught her ankle and in one smooth motion, pulled her forward and wrapped one arm around her thigh and around around her waist. 

He had pulled her in so close their faces were nearly touching. Tenko gritted her teeth in embarrassment and tried to break free, but it was no use. He gave her a deceptive smile as he simply allowed himself to fall over, with her underneath. 

As they fell together, she prepared herself and as soon she she hit the floor, rolled backwards and flipped him off of her. He rolled away and quickly leapt to his feet. She hopped back up herself as well.

“T-That was a dirty trick, you perverted menace!”, she shouted.

He gave her a nonchalant shrug, which only aggravated her more.

She darted forward in a zigzag, and threw out her hands in a series of palm strikes. Clearly she’d have to weaken him before she could pin him down. Rantarou’s eyes carefully tracked her movements as he reacted to each and every strike by pushing it away as it came.

She was gradually pushing back towards the edge of the arena and suddenly her instinct kicked in. She pivoted around past him and leapt onto the barrier, pushing off of it to attempt a flying kick. He quickly folded his arms and cross-blocked it, and she leapt back onto the barrier…. But messed up her footing and slipped right over the edge. 

Cursing under his breath, Rantarou rushed in and grabbed her ankle. He looked down as she dangled off of the roof and sighed. Until he noticed her skirt was complete upside-down. As soon as Tenko also noticed this, she started wriggling wildly.

“Gaaah! Stop peeking, you jerk! T-This was your plan a-all along, wasn’t it? Now that I t-think about it, what other r-reason could t-there be to fight on the roof!?!”, she started going into a spastic rant as he struggled to keep firm grip of her ankle.

“Stop shaking or you’ll fall!”, he ordered.

Looking down with an audible nervous gulp, Tenko slowly stopped squirming mid-air. 

Rantarou reached out his other hand. “Bend up and grab my hand!”, he shouted.

“I’d n-never take the hand of a lousy perverted no-good mena--”, Tenko went off before Rantarou loosened his grip ever so slightly. Gritting her teeth and swallowing her pride, she hoisted herself up and reached for his hand. 

It took her a few tries and with each attempt, the look of panic on her face grew worse as she imagined many horrible scenarios involving various splatting sounds. Once she had firmly grasped his hand, he took a deep breath and hoisted her up over the edge, using enough force to knock them both onto the floor.

Tenko fell on top of him with a soft thud and instinctively wrapped her arms around him as him he represented the only source of safety in a world where one could fall off of a very tall tower at any moment. 

Rantarou was taken aback by this out of character yet very human reaction to having one’s life saved. But that didn’t stop him from recognizing his chance. He smiled as he flipped himself over and pinned Tenko down by her wrists. 

It took Tenko a second to realize what had just happened, but when she did, her face became aghast. “Gaaaaah! N-No fair! N-No fair! I w-wasn’t r-ready! Life-threatening circumstances!”, she screamed in defiance. 

Rantarou had the world’s most smug grin as he said, “A pin is a pin”.

Tenko bit her lip in frustration, wanting to object but knowing her sense of honor wouldn’t allow that. It was indeed, a pin. Without warning, her eyes started to water as the realization of what happened truly dawned upon her.

“Henceforth, you’re my disciple”, he said, getting up off the floor. He extended a hand to her, but she only scoffed and flipped herself up. She turned away and stared off into the distance, her figure devoid of the energy that usually defined her presence. 

“...How c-could my Neo-Aikido lose?”, she asked aloud, more to herself than anyone.

“I don’t know about Neo-Aikido, but I can tell you where you went wrong”, Rantarou said, pacing around the circular roof. 

Tenko didn’t seem like she was listening. 

“I can’t make you listen to me, but I’ll tell you anyway. Take it or leave it”, he declared.

“You’re too eager. You put every ounce of yourself into every move you make. This makes you both easy to read and even easier to disorient. You’re easily provoked and you make reckless moves, overestimating your ability to recover if you mess up”, he explained in emphatic cadence, as if in a lecture hall.

Tenko pivoted around and shot him a glare. 

“And what makes you such an expert!?”, she demanded.

Rantarou sighed, grabbed the edge of his shirt and lifted up. Ordinarily, Tenko would’ve had an over-the-top comedic reaction to what she would no doubt label as sexual harassment, but in this instance, her reaction was quite different. 

Her eyes widened as she saw a torso covered in many scars of all shapes and sizes. 

Pulling his shirt back down, he calmly stated, “I’ve been doing this a long time. Made a lot of mistakes. Stick with me, and you might learn how to avoid… that”. And without another word, he knelt down to open the floor hatch. 

As he began his descent, Tenko suddenly shouted, “Wait!”. Surprising even herself.

He turned his head back to her with a neutral expression.

Not sure what else to say, Tenko merely muttered, “I… want to fight you again”.

Rantarou turned his head away, as if hiding his reaction. 

“Don’t worry about that. You’re my disciple now. Of course we’ll fight again”, were his last words before parting. 

Tenko gazed out at the city with a frustrated look in her eyes. Obviously she didn’t want to be a disciple or anything to a menace but… she had still lost. And for the first time she entertained the idea that maybe there were things other than Neo-Aikido that were worth learning.

...Maybe.

* * *

 

Once Kiibo, his effective warden, had finished his routine inspection, it was time for Shuichi to do some investigating. He sat on the provided bed with his legs crossed, breathing steady, eyes closed, mind keenly focused. The smooth surface of the Astral Marble was cold in the palm of his hand. He had done this a few times before, but an out-of-body experience was difficult to get used to.

Drawing upon his own latent reserve of mana, given by his master, he gradually poured energy into the marble. This was the same magical power that sustained his familiar form… he had to spend it carefully or he may run out before… 

Shaking off the thought, Shuichi whispered a brief chant.

“ _Vael sho’cir ganira qo_ ”.

The odd sensation of opening eyes without physically opening them. That was what came first, followed by a feeling of weightlessness. It was an extremely bizarre thing to not rely on muscles to move… but sheer power of mental fortitude. 

Shuichi focused his mind and pushed his spirit from his physical vessel, falling onto the floor. Of course, he could’ve phased through the floor if he desired. He only stopped at the floor by instinct, it’s what his unconscious mind assumed would happen, so it did. 

He pulled himself back up in the usual-looking manner, as it was the easiest method to wrap your head around. Technically, nothing said he had to maintain his visage while in spirit form… but it was far more simple. Having to mentally process what it would be like to move as a spider for instance, would be incredibly taxing on the mind. 

Taking his first steps, he approached the door. Taking a deep yet ultimately unnecessary breath, he pushed himself through the door as if it didn’t exist and found himself in the torchlit stone corridor. Which way to go? It was anyone’s guess. He decided to move forward and see for himself. 

It was a series of winding hallways with adjacent rooms. Shuichi peaked his head into a few, but saw only supplies, books, or barrels of what he assumed was preserved food. Every now and again, a cloaked figure passed by, but did not notice his presence. They must be the followers of the Warlock. 

The halls twisted and turned seemingly without end… but perhaps it was only because he had never been there that Shuichi found himself so confused. At every split, he simply chose a direction at random. He had read before that when in unfamiliar locations, people had a tendency to choose to go left instead of right. Out of a weird defiance of expectations, Shuichi tried mixing it up.

One particular stretch lead into a wide open space. Shuichi found himself spiritually standing on a balcony overlooking where seemed to be some sort of arena. This room stunned himself slightly… the floor had all sorts of complex markings inscribed upon it… markings in dried blood. He was thankful that he could not smell it in spirit form.

There were large braziers illuminating the large space with a dirty golden hue. But what drew Shuichi’s attention the most was what was scattered about the floor in a huge circle… black stands that ordinarily would hold torches… except…

In place of torches… were gemstones. In various colors, all glistening in the dim light, reflecting the fires of the braziers. All with the same faint glow that could triggered a disturbing thought in Shuichi’s mind. 

They all looked the same… as the gemstone Kaede’s soul had been sealed within. 

He shuddered and winced at the realization… how many were there? Dozens. In fact, he’d say there were nearly… a hundred. Doing some quick spacial math, he concluded as such… there were one hundred black stands. But several were not yet fitted with soul-gems.

Just what were they planning to do here? What kind of horrific ritual would require so many human souls? Shuichi had no idea and no desire to even imagine it. His attention was soon diverted to the sound of a large double-door crashing open towards one end of the large chamber.

“I-I’m sorry, Master! We c-could only recover two more for--”, the white-haired servant pleaded as he was violently pushed into the chamber by his wicked master, whose eyes shone with malevolent intent.

“Only two? Only… two? How many times must I tell you? The sacrifices must all be present by the time she arrives!”, Korekiyo shouted as he snatched a pair of gemstones from Kiibo’s hands. Strutting over to an empty stand, he affixed one to it.

“A-Apologies, sir! B-But it is d-difficult to locate sacrifices that meet the criter--”, the servant whined as his master placed the second gem. 

“Excuses! Again with these excuses! It is in no small part because of your constant failures that I must wait time and time again!”, the master shrieked, getting right up in Kiibo’s frightened face. 

“M-Master, I assure you. Your long w-wait is nearly over! By week’s end, the ritual w-will be complete and--”, Kiibo tried to rationalize, but the warlock was not having it.

“I have waited nearly a century to see my beloved once more! A mere homunculus who knows nothing of love will not lecture me on patience! Now leave my sight and complete your task!”, the warlock wailed in a raspy tone, like a snake’s bite.

Cowering, Kiibo nodded and scrambled out of the chamber.

There was a moment of silence as Shuichi tried to process all that he had seen… when the warlock spoke up yet again. 

“Tis a great shame… fair maidens all… but none so fair as my beloved…”, he whispered to himself as he passed along each glimmering gemstone in the circle. As if he was gazing upon every soul, as they stared back at their captor helplessly.

As he passed a brazier, he casually wiped sweat from his brow. Realizing how warm the chamber had become, the warlock slowly pulled back his hood. This allowed his long, silky black hair to fall gracefully down his backside… and reveal something Shuichi never expected to see.

Atop the warlock’s head was a firm pair… of fox ears. They twitched ever so slightly as he knelt down and petted the pattern of blood on the floor. Beyond the mask, no doubt a wicked smile was forming. 

“Yes… my beloved… I’ll see you again soon… my beloved master…”, the warlock said.

Shuichi’s mind wretched so hard from the revelation, that he found his spirit recalling to his body by sheer gut instinct. Like a defensive mechanism to protect himself from shocking truths, he soon found himself fallen on the floor of his cell. 

No… it wasn’t possible. The warlock… was a familiar? Just like him? How was that even possible? A familiar is bound to their master, the mage that formed a contract with them. They cannot live long without the presence of their master… it just couldn’t be. But the warlock said he had waited nearly a century…

Shuichi nearly vomited from just thinking about the possibilities… what sorts of horrible and desperate black magics would one have to commit to maintain a familiar form without a mage? He didn’t want to even consider it. 

He crawled back onto the bed and wrapped the blanket around him as if it could shield him from all the horrific things in the world… he thought of his own master and how much he wished he could be calmed by her smile… 

His mind shuttered… wondering what he might do… if they were separated for a hundred years…

* * *

 

In the dead of night, in a cellar below the local tavern, a crude and buxom woman tinkers away with cogs and springs. Snickering to herself about her genius, she continued her work as she usually did. This device in particular was very exciting to her… for likely all the wrong reasons. 

Suddenly there was a knock at the cellar door. 

“Aah!? Who the fuck is it?”, she demanded, flipping her goggles off her eyes.

“It’s your favorite person!”, a childish voice shot back from the other side.

“Bullshit! My favorite people are me, myself and I and all three of us are right here!”, the woman retorted.

“Ugh, just open the door, you stupid bimbo. I need to ask you something”, the voice ordered, its tone changing from impishly playful to rude and forceful in an instant.

Similarly, the woman’s own tone switched gears from haughty to meek in about half a second. “A-Alright fine!”, she said as she leapt out of her chair and opened the door to find a particularly obnoxious court jester in front of her. 

“Okay, what the fuck do you want at this time of night?”, she asked, her demeanor haughty once more. 

The jester’s brows furrowed as the words crossed his lips. 

“Tell me everything you know… about _The Order_ ”.

**END OF CHAPTER NINE**


	10. The Journey Begins

**(A/N: Turns out, I totally forgot to update this fic on AO3 last time. Head's up that I always update my fics on Amino first and then do AO3 later after some delay as the additional formatting is a bit of a pain. So this time ya'll AO3 ppl are getting a double-update. Lucky you. Hope it was worth the wait. Lemme know what you think in the comments below.)**

 

**Chapter Ten**

**The Journey Begins**

As the sun crept into the darkened room of the apprentice mage… her eyes slowly opened. How she managed to sleep was beyond her, perhaps the charm she received really did work. Normally, the mage would’ve tossed and turned in bed for a good awhile before her familiar would come to make sure she got out of bed.

But her familiar wasn’t there with her. And as she flipped herself on her feet, took her trademark witch’s hat from the rack and jammed it on her head… she knew that the time had come to correct that.

She grabbed her staff and rushed out of her room into the main living area of their shared commode… it seemed so big and empty without him here. Her grip tightened as she increased her resolve… a resolve to return to those peaceful days. Though in truth it had only been one full day since she awoke to find him gone… it had felt like much longer.

She had never been without him before… she had never ventured beyond the city walls before… she never had to trust in her abilities as a mage to carry her through what would undoubtedly be a challenging situation before… 

For the first time, she would have to do all of those things.

“Shuichi…”, she murmured softly, as if she had something epic to declare… but she didn’t really. She just felt the need to remind herself of what she was doing this all for. Himiko reluctantly left the room with only a single driving thought on her mind.

The next time she returned to that room… it would be with her partner.

“Maybe it is too late to ask… but Gonta had a thought”, Gonta said aloud as he and the group of adventurers passed through the city streets towards the western gate. The mage was uncomfortable leading the group, so she let Rantarou, the experienced adventurer took that spot. 

Beside her, Angie was skipping along merrily without a care in the world, most like daydreaming of having her own gallery exhibit. Tenko was skulking behind Gonta, at a respectable distance from Himiko, as was agreed upon earlier. It seemed like she had given up on getting a consistent view of her target from behind Gonta’s bulky frame.

“What’s on your mind, big guy?”, Rantarou replied cordially, arms crossed behind his head, somehow avoid all obstacles in his way without even looking.

“Well… it’s just… there are powerful wizards at the palace. And Gonta has heard of magic that can send people from place to place. Tel-- tel--”, he began, scratching his head in confusion.

“Teleportation magic”, Himiko helped him, “One of the highest forms of spacial magic… it takes many years of training to perfect and only the best mages can perform it. Nyaa… I wish I could do it myself”, she sighed.

“Right! So why they not just teleport us to where we’re going? Would be much faster than walking”, Gonta inquired, excited that he had learned a new word. Himiko sighed at the gardener’s naivety. 

“The court mages are busy preserving Kaede’s body…”, she said in a somber tone. A mass teleportation spell would require a lot of mana that was sorely needed for that task.

“Oh… yeah”, Gonta acknowledged, his smile vanishing.

“Plus, even if they could, it’s probably smarter not to. Big flashy magic like that draws a lot of attention. Even though they’re likely expecting us, any degree of surprise can be critical in missions like this”, Rantarou added.

“Ha! Just like a menace to want to sneak up and attack people!”, Tenko shouted from the back. The young mage gritted her teeth and winced a little.

“Nyaa… you’re so loud… so early in the morning…”, she complained.

“Aaah! Sorry! Sorry!”, Tenko… attempted to apologize at roughly the same volume, negating the point. Himiko only grumbled again in dissatisfaction, it was like every time the martial artist opened her mouth, Himiko regretted allowing her to accompany them. 

Rantarou pulled out a rolled-up map as they approached the gate exiting the city. Himiko gulped nervously… this was the first time she’d ever left the city since coming there as a child. As she gazed at the long winding cobblestone path that cut through the forest, a sense of loneliness washed over her.

‘ _ We should request time off and go somewhere _ ’, her familiar had once told her on a typical day of magical study. Himiko, who had been drooling over the stack of books at the time, arose to look at him with sleepy eyes.

‘ _ Nyaa? Go where exactly? _ ’, she had asked groggily.

‘ _ Outside. Outside the city, I mean. To another town or maybe even just to hike up a mountain and take in the sights. It would be a good chance of pace, don’t you think? _ ’, Shuichi suggested, with a hopeful look in his eyes.

That look made the young mage feel guilty about what she had said next.

‘ _ Nyaa… what’s the point? We have everything we need right here… traveling sounds like such a pain… _ ’, she had replied. Shuichi had a sullen but understanding expression as  he shrugged it off.

‘ _ This is going to sound weird… coming from me that is, but I think there’s only so much you can learn from books _ ’, he told her. She had raised a brow at that… it did sound weird coming from someone whose nose was usually in a book.

‘ _ As long as it’s still a pain… I’d rather stick to the books _ ’, she said, ending that particular train of thought. As she stood on the edge of the city in present time, Himiko felt strong regret for her words back then.

In that moment, she didn’t care where she was or how much of a pain it might be… as long as Shuichi was there to help her with it. She wanted nothing more than for him to take her by the hand and bring her somewhere entirely new. Even if it was million miles from her warm, soft bed or even in another world… if he was there… it would be fine.

What had it been that caused her to become so lethargic in those times? Was it the fire that destroyed their orphanage? Or something else?

The young mage snapped back to reality with a slight tap on the shoulder. She looked up to see the friendly gardener with a concerned expression.

“Everything good? Do you want Gonta to carry you?”, Gonta asked, his tone warm as he inquired as to whether or not everything was good and also if she wanted to be carried, by him specifically.

She shook her head by impulse. 

“No! No… I’m fine… besides you’re already carrying all of our stuff”, she reminded him.

Gonta felt the gargantuan backpack strapped to his body and chuckled heartily, “Oh this? Gonta forgot it was even there…”, he said with mild surprise. Himiko winced… just how strong was Gonta anyway?

The group passed the gate’s guard, who was nonchalantly resting against the wall. Snickering to himself, he only muttered, “Going through to Westros? Hope you know what you’re in for…” and turned away.

The young mage caught up to Rantarou and asked, “How long will it take us to reach the Inverted Pyramid?”. He rolled up his map and shoved it back into his pouch. 

“By foot, it will take us maybe two days. None of the carriages will go this direction… not with the dangers traveling through Westros poses… we can follow this path the edge of the country, but after that… let’s just say there are no roads”, he answered seriously.

“What exactly is going on in Westros?”.

“Infighting between the local government and rebel militia… after the war, everything broke apart. Neither side takes kindly to the Kingdom of Saishuu at the moment, so anyone we run into could very well be an enemy once we cross over”, he explained.

There was a sullen look on Himiko’s face as she heard it told to her again… she had heard these things before but now that she was walking towards them… they were starting to feel all the more real.

“So Shuichi was taken… to that sort of place…”, she murmured.

Rantarou gazed down at her saddened face as they continued onward. 

“What is this guy to you? A friend? A brother? A lover? Or…”, he said, hovering over the syllable like it was a valuable artifact, “Something more unique than that?”, he finished, looking her dead in the eyes.

Himiko was taken aback by this forcefulness. 

“Tell me. What is your favorite animal? A rabbit? A snake? A hawk? Maybe a boar? Or a toad? How about a wolf?”, he went on, stopping when she jumped slightly at the last suggestion by uncontrollable instinct.

“Oho… I see. So that’s how it is…”, he concluded.

“I-I d-don’t…”, she stammered. They were walking a good ways ahead of the others, Tenko and Angie were in some kind of spat and Gonta walked casually between them, just admiring the scenery.

Rantarou had a serious look in his eyes that betrayed his usual calm and friendly demeanor… “You’re in love with your familiar, aren’t you?”, he asked directly.

Himiko’s face turned a deep crimson as she walked forward mechanically, like some kind of metallic automaton that does not exist in this universe. She had to resist the urge to stop in her tracks, but she knew things would only get more awkward if she did.

She wanted to speak out, but her lips just wouldn’t move.

“What a great story… forbidden love separated by a mysterious plot from a war-torn nation… you could write a novel about this”, he mused with neither a wink nor a nod.

“I won’t tell the council, by the way, if that’s what you’re worried about. Having as many sisters as I do, I know a thing or two about girls and their feelings. But if I’m going to work for you, I’d appreciate a little more honesty, alright?”, he said.

Her mind still reeling, she nodded eagerly. 

Then suddenly, while they were still close enough to the gate to see it, someone jumped out of a nearby bush, brandishing a knife. It was a scrawny-looking man with buzzed hair and bandana. He was squinting angrily and waving his weapon around at random.

“Grrrah! Gimmie yer coin and make it quick!”, he growled.

The group took a step back in surprise, except Rantarou, who smirked and chuckled to himself. “Ah, so the first encounter has arrived. Excellent, it’s your time to shine, little mage”, he mused, pointing directly at Himiko.

“Nyaa!? W-Why me?”, she protested.

“Because it’s time for you to prove your worth as a mage, of course. I’ve yet to see you perform any actual magic and I’m curious”, he explained.

“Oh yeah! Himiko can take care of this! Easy!”, Gonta yelled supportively from the back.

“Ooooooh! We’re gonna see Himiko’s magic! I’m not gonna blink, starting now!”, Tenko squealed in excitement.

“G-Guys… come on. The gate is right there, why don’t we just report him to the guards?”, Himiko reasoned, a look of worry on her face as she glanced back towards the guards that could almost assuredly see what was happening from this distance and did nothing.

“Where’s your sense of adventure?”, Rantarou asked with a sigh, “Nobody likes a heroine that runs and taddles…”. 

“B-But aren’t I subverting some kind of expectation or something?”, she pleaded as Angie silently pushed her towards the enemy with a smile.

“Aaargh! Stop ignoring me! I said gimmie yer money!”, the bandit shouted.

“Hold on man, it’s her first time”, Rantarou explained.

For some inexplicable reason, the bandit actually seemed to back down a little.

“Okay, you have first turn!”, Rantarou ordered.

“T-Turn!? What does that mean?”, Himiko stammered.

“It means you go first! Make a move! Battle… START!”, he replied and declared as if referencing something.

She looked the angry man in the eyes and waved awkwardly. “Umm, hello? C-Could you let us pass, please?”, she asked nervously, knees buckling slightly.

“Oooh! She’s attempting negotiation magic!”, Tenko chirped.

“No… Gonta thinks this is not magic, just talking”, Gonta said.

The bandit tossed his knife in the air and caught it again, switching combat stances with a laugh. “Of course not! Gimmie yer money or I’ll cut ya!”, he declared.

“A-Ah! Okay… lemme just get my w-wallet…”, Himiko stuttered, reaching for her… and of course it wasn’t there.

She pivoted back to see Angie riffling through her wallet nonchalantly before quickly hiding it behind her back. “Ohoho… Sorry! Just holding onto it for safe keeping! Wouldn’t want him to loot your body in case you-- Well good luck, Himiko!”, Angie explained gleefully.

Thrilled by the vote of confidence, Himiko returned her attention to the bandit and drew her wand, which transformed into a full staff at her will. Holding it at a vaguely threatening angle, she made the most determined face she could.

“O-Okay…! You b-better stop or I’ll use this!”, she warned.

When he took another step forward, she reactively whipped her staff around and chanted something. 

“Kahui morda!”, she snapped, as the end of her staff turned bright orange and shot a bolt of energy at the bandit, knocking him off his feet.

“Good! You downed him! You get an extra turn!”, Rantarou proclaimed.

“I d-don’t get these rules you just made up!”, the young made argued.

“Just go again!”.

Groaning, Himiko flipped her staff around and called out another spell.

“Tochir nako!”, she cried, the end of her staff turning silver. The same color aura surrounded the fallen bandit, lifting him up off the ground and flinging him back into the bushes. 

But he simply hopped back out of them and immediately into another fighting stance.

“He’s still got some life left! And he’s on the offensive now, watch out!”, Rantarou warned, getting strangle invested.

The man quickly tossed a knife towards the young mage, who leapt out of the way as it caught in the dirt. She looked at it and then back to him with a look of exasperation. 

“H-He t-tried to kill me!”, she complained.

“Well yeah, he’s a bandit. They do that”, Rantarou explained.

“W-What am I supposed to do to get him to stop?”, she whined, “I c-can’t kill him! I’m no murderer! Not in this or any reality!”.

Oddly specific conditional statement aside, Rantarou shot back, “Just incapacitate him! ...Or whack him around enough until he runs away! Always works!”.

“Oh! You should use ice magic, Himiko! Freeze that menace in place!”, Tenko suggested, hopping up and down with anticipation. 

Himiko winced and bit her lip as if wanting to say ‘Oh right, Ice magic… that thing I’m totally super good at’. But those weren’t the words that came out of her mouth at that time. The words that actually came out were--

“Tochir nako! Tochir nako! Tochir nako! Tochir nako!”, she shouted over and over again in a panic, lifting the bandit up and slamming him on the ground repeatedly. As his groans of pain grew louder, there was a booing from the peanut gallery.

“That’s just poor sportsmanship, Himiko!”, Angie stated with a pout.

“Nyaa! What does it matter!? He attacked me first!”, the young mage retorted.

“Actually… technically you hit him first…”, Rantarou noted.

“Nyaa!? I’m the bad guy!?”, Himiko uttered in shock as the bandit floated in mid-air, bruised and moaning. Realizing how bad this looked, she gently lowered him the ground and retracted her staff.

The man leapt to his feet and rushed off into the forest depths, never to be seen again.

But in his place was a shiny gold coin, which Himiko picked up with mixed feelings.

“H-He just dropped five gael…”, she muttered in confusion.

“Well you can’t expect great loot from a starting enemy”, Rantarou said, crossing his arms as if in deep contemplation. 

Himiko returned the group and added the coin to her wallet… which to her surprise now had the exact same amount of money in it as the last time she looked. She glanced at Angie with a nonplussed expression. 

“Nyaa… Angie you took five gael, didn’t you?” she accused, already knowing the answer.

“Ohoho! Just my healer’s fee!”, the priest replied.

“B-But I’m not even hurt!”, the young mage protested.

With a suddenly solemn look, Angie grimaced, “Healthcare is a very complex business, Himiko…”. With that startling bit of social commentary out of the way, the group moved onto through the forest path. 

There were several other notable encounters that day in the forest, including many giant rats. None however, were worthy of commenting on. By the time the sky turned a vibrant orange as the sun began to set in the west, the group decided it was time to make camp for the night and rest.

Gonta cooked a makeshift meal out of freshly caught fish, nearby vegetables and water brought to a boil via a pot over a roaring campfire. Some sort of fishy stew, of sorts. It wasn’t well seasoned, but it was filling and that was what mattered.

“I think we made great progress today”, Rantarou said, stirring his meal as steam rose from it. 

“Nyaa… we scared off one bandit and killed a bunch of rats”, she said, summarizing the day’s events. Rantarou chuckled, leaning back against a tree.

“For a low-level party… that is just the start”, he said, shoving a spoonful in his mouth.

“He calls us ‘low-level’ but he didn’t even do anything…”, Tenko scoffed, turning away as if not wanting to give him the satisfaction of… being looked at.

“Hey now, I’m a famous adventurer… Killing rats is pretty far beneath my pay grade”, he explained. 

“Gonta thought garden back home had a rat problem… but that’s nothing compared to this forest”, Gonta mused, pouring stew into small wooden bowls and handing them to the remaining pair.

After dinner was done, the group erected the three tents that had brought with them. When the issue of who and where arose… Tenko was the first to seize the opportunity.

“Himiko! Maybe we sh--”, she began before getting cut off. Her collar activated, sending a bolt of pain through her body as Rantarou’s command.

“You didn’t actually think that would work, did you?”, he asked, his tone disappointed on a number of levels. 

“Nyaa… I’ll share with Angie”, Himiko decided, rubbing her sleepy eyes. 

“Ohoho! It’s been awhile since we shared a room, Himiko!”, Angie said, leading her inside the tent and away from Tenko’s whimpering stare. 

“Awhile… so they’ve already…”, she whined.

“Gonta sorry, but Gonta doesn’t think he can share. Tent barely big enough for Gonta”, Gonta explained as he sheepishly retreated into the other tent. This, of course, left only one tent vacant.

“Well I guess that just leaves you and me”, Rantarou observed, taking a long glance at the girl currently moping on the ground.

Tenko rolled over and hopped to her feet, “Whaaaaat!? No way! There is no way I’m sharing a tent with a menace! You planned this, didn’t you? You’re going to try all sorts of skeevy things while you have me alone, aren’t you?”, she ranted whilst in a fighting stance.

Rantarou rolled his eyes, “Why do you have this version of me in your head that only wants to make his own life more difficult? I’m not gonna do anything, just come on and be mature about this”, he said. 

Rapidly shaking her head, Tenko denied all of his words. 

“Unacceptable! I’ll just stay out here then!”, she declared proudly.

“I mean, suit yourself… of course you’ll have to deal with the rain”, he warned as he disappeared behind the flaps of the tent. As if on cue, rain droplets immediately began pouring from the darkened sky above, dowsing Tenko in a torrent of water.

To her credit, she stood there defiantly for quite some time before gritting her teeth and diving into the tent. Rantarou was in the middle of removing his leather armor pads when this girl in soaked clothing crawled inside the tent with a defeated expression.

“D-Don’t think too hard about this!”, she cried, “I j-just don’t want to catch pneumonia or something…”. 

“You’re gonna sleep in wet clothes?”, he asked, cocking his head in confusion.

“Aaah!”, she yelped, just realizing how soaked she was for the first time. Instinctively covering her body with her arms, she raved on, “I-If you’re expecting me to strip down for you, I’ll beat you senseless!”.

“Relax, I’ve got something to help”, he said, reaching into his knapsack and pulling out what looked like some kind of ancient relic. It was golden, circular and had an amber-colored gemstone in the center. 

“It’s the Pendant of Niraok”, he said, “An enchanted item that generates a wave of heat like a desert wind”. Holding out before her disheveled wet form, he smiled innocently.

“I can dry you off, but…”, he began, “first you have to do something for me”.

“Ha! I knew it! What do you want, you creep?”, she demanded.

“I want you to tell me just one thing you like about me”, he stated in complete seriousness.

Tenko, who was clearly expected a far more scandalous command, was taken aback.

“I-Is this a joke? What could I p-possibly like about a filthy menace!?”, she replied sharply.

“I dunno… you tell me”.

Tenko weighed her options. She didn’t want to sleep in wet clothing, she didn’t want to remove said wet clothing… which only left her with one choice.

“You… make me want to be stronger”, was her answer.

“Hm?”.

“Master told me that menaces would sap me of my strength… but even knowing that, you have abilities that even Master doesn’t have… it frustrates me! Neo-Aikido is supposed to give me all that I need! And yet… you’re stronger than me”, she ranted.

“You’re very loyal to this Master of yours”, Rantarou observed.

“Of course I am! Master knows everything! They took me in when I was just a kid and raised me in the ways of Neo-Aikido! I owe my life to them!”, she boasted, clenching her fists excitedly and forgetting to cover her wet and increasingly transparent clothing.

“So you don’t think this Master of yours could be wrong?”, he suggested, his eyes drifting around nonchalantly.

“Never! Master is right! Neo-Aikido is the true path in life!”, she said as if she’d repeated it to herself a thousand times.

“But I’m stronger”, he shot back.

Tenko bit her lip. She didn’t have a response to that.

With a heavy sigh, Rantarou tossed her the relic and rolled over under a blanket. “Well, a deal’s a deal. Dry yourself off and get some sleep”, he said dismissively. 

Catching it, Tenko replied, “T-That’s it?”.

Rantarou did not answer, leaving Tenko alone with her thoughts.

As the rain pelted the exterior of the tent, she used the relic to dry her clothing. When she was finished, she crawled over the place it back in his knapsack. As she did, she caught a glimpse of his peaceful resting face.

He was already asleep. Tenko stared at him with a disgruntled look, wondering how such an obviously wicked menace could’ve ever beaten her… beaten her Neo-Aikido. But there was a small part of her that couldn’t deny… that he didn’t look dangerous at all.

She rolled back over and slammed her head on the pillow, trying to make a considerable distance between them. She was convinced as soon as she let her guard down, he was going to ‘accidentally’ roll over in his sleep and grab various parts of her body.

It took her awhile to finally drift off into sleep, but eventually the soft sounds of rain subdued her riled thoughts. Tenko had never encountered a menace so aggravating on so many levels. And she was worried this would negatively impact her training, being a ‘disciple’ of his. She didn’t know what to make of it. 

And so the night went on.

**CHAPTER TEN**

**END**


	11. Smoke And Honey

**(A/N: Part two of you AO3 ppl's double-update. Lemme know your thoughts below. Enjoy.)**

 

**Chapter Eleven**

**Smoke And Honey**

Black smog billowed out of a humble wooden building… crumbling into ash as the winds howl in the dead of night. The flames rise higher and higher, casting long shadows amidst the violent glow. The waves of heat were as unbearable to the young girl as the crushing sadness in her heart.

Tears poured from eyes that could not dare look away, the smoke assaulted her eyes with an immensely painful stinging sensation. But she could not look away… she was forced to watch this horrific incident to its tragic conclusion. 

But what hurt the most were the screams… the desperate final cries of children… she could identify each and every one of them. And each one tore her soul asunder as her tiny fists clenched in bitter frustration. They were suffering an agonizing demise that she could do nothing to alleviate.

Her entire body shuddered. She wanted to scream herself… she wanted to vomit, if it would get rid of the heavy despair that saddled inside her gut. Her trembling hands wiped away tears from her ash covered and anguished face. How could this happen? Why did the world turn so dark and cruel in an instant? For what reason would such a tragedy occur?

She felt a cold grip on her shoulders as the screams intensified. 

_ It should’ve been you…  _

_ Why aren’t you dying with us? _

_ This pain was meant for you… _

_ Why do you get to live? _

_ It’s not fair…. _

_ After all…  _

Himiko’s eyes shot open with a shocked gasp. Her body felt damp with cold sweat, her shoulders twitching in a deranged pattern. Her hands frantically felt around her for any sign that would tell her where and when she was in the universe. They felt thin blankets and the warm hand and someone laying nearby. She jerked her head to see Angie’s still sleeping face.

The young mage took a series of deep breaths to calm her nerves. It had been awhile since she had last had that particular nightmare… in fact she had thought she had finally rid herself of it. But it appears the loss of her dear familiar had dragged her mind back into that sad state.

The orphanage fire… she still remembered it vividly despite her attempts to suppress that painful point in her life. The fire that claimed the lives of all the other children… except for her… and the one she had managed to save. By sheer dumb luck… a fluke that shouldn’t have logically worked.

She had always taken that as a sign that this was just how things were meant to be. Shuichi… his survival by her hand was her hope that everything would be okay. That she didn’t need to feel such crushing guilt at living when everyone else could not. He was her support… he was still there even when she had lost everything else…

And now she had even lost him.

As she wiped away the tears that formed from reliving such tragic memories… she was filled with most primal of motivations… to get back her most precious person… the one that gave her relief and hope just by his presence. She turned to gently shake Angie’s shoulder, remarking how bizarre it was for her to do so.

It had always been someone else doing this to her. It wasn’t often she awoke before someone else.

“A-Angie… it’s time to get up”, she mumbled.

The priest’s eyes fluttered awake as if by some cruel contrast, she had experienced a pleasant and wonderful dream. What would someone like her even dream about, Himiko wondered. Angels floating in the sky? Giant piles of money? An art gallery filled with portraits to other realms? Anything was possible for someone as eccentric as her.

The tanned girl shot straight up and stretched her arms with a vibrant expression. 

“Ah! Good morning, Himiko! Atua wishes you one as well”, she said, nearly humming. 

The young mage relaxed her shoulders, it was hard to feel sad around someone as perpetually easy-going as Angie. She was thankful for that as well.

“You look troubled… I don’t think I’ve seen you this way for a long time”, Angie remarked.

“Ah… just had a bad dream, it’s nothing really”, Himiko replied.

“Dreams are the paintings of our souls, Himiko! If your dreams are scary and sad, then that reflects how your soul feels… That’s one of Atua’s teachings, of course. Peaceful dreams are the first step to a peaceful life”, she rambled on.

“...Do you always have peaceful dreams?”, she asked.

Angie hesitated for a moment before answering, “Not always… but if you make yourself see happiness where it isn’t, then you’ll always be ready when it comes along”. 

The young mage raised an eyebrow, “So you just… lie to yourself?”, she questioned.

Angie let out a soft chuckle, “Of course not… I’m just saying that peace starts in the mind. If you let yourself be troubled, then you’ll only find more trouble. If you let yourself be happy, you’ll always find happiness one way or another”, she explained.

Himiko wasn’t sure she completely understood, but simply nodded anyway.

“Nyaa… are you always so philosophical in the morning?”, she asked jokingly.

“The mind is the most clear after a good rest… I would think”, Angie said with a laugh.

Feeling better, Himiko led her friend out of the makeshift tent and out in the forest clearing, which was bathed in the calm light of the rising sun. Another day of travel awaited them...

* * *

 

“Agh, why the hell did you drag me down here?”, Kaito exclaimed with an irritated face, leaning against the bars of the dungeon cells. Kokichi had been bugging him all day about coming here, and the knight captain still couldn’t see why he should, but reluctantly agreed once his annoyance meter had filled adequately.

“See? You are curious”, Kokichi snickered, as he continued to fiddle with one particular cell door padlock. Lockpicking was necessary skill in the kind of life he used to lead. Before he was recruited to be the Court Jester. 

“Yeah, I’m curious just what kind of prank you’re planning, Kokichi. There’s some serious shit going on around here and nobody has time for your mischief right now”, Kaito growled, crossing his arms in disapproval.

“Oh come on, surely you’ve realized that this is related to that ‘serious shit’? This is the only cell without a matching key, isn’t it?”, Kokichi said.

All cells in the Palace dungeon had a corresponding key that was unique that its padlock. All of them, except for Cell #53, whose matching key was mysteriously nowhere to be found. After Kokichi had begged him to see it, Kaito rummaged through the guard offices, but couldn’t find it anywhere.

“W-Well yeah, that is weird but what the hell does that have to do with Shuichi’s kidnapping?”, Kaito demanded to know.

Kokichi finally managed to pick the lock open as he swung the cell door. 

“I think our enemies are after something… something that’s hidden beneath the palace. Something they’ll be back for sooner or later”, Kokichi explained as he started feeling around the room.

“And you think there’s some kind of hidden passage in here? Come on, that’s ridiculous”, Kaito scoffed, walking into the room with a skeptical scowl. 

“Kaito, have you ever actually seen anyone come in here?”

“Huh? Of course not, we don’t have the key”

“Then wouldn’t this be a greaaaaat place to hide a secret passage?”

“Ugh, I’m telling you, that’s just a coincid--”, Kaito began as he exasperatedly slapped his hand on the side wall, accidentally pushing in a seemingly loose brick.

The walls echoed a screeching sound as the cell’s cot slid back into the wall and revealed a wooden hatch beneath. Kokichi had a wide smug grin like a cat surrounded by helpless tuna. 

“That was amazing, Kaito! How did you know the secret switch was there all along? You’re a genius!”, Kokichi cooed with false amazement. Kaito slugged his arm, unamused.

“S-Shut up! Just what the hell do you think is down there anyway? And how do you know all this?”, Kaito demanded, glaring at the wooden hatch with surprise and suspicion. 

Kokichi wagged his finger with a unsatisfied expression, “You’re so dumb for a genius, Kaito. I don’t know what’s down there, only that it’s something enemies of the kingdom want”, he went on with a contrastingly upbeat tone.

Recognizing he wasn’t going to get any more information from the Jester, Kaito turned away and remarked, “Whatever… If something that important is in danger, we have to tell Queen Kirumi right away”. Kokichi leapt in front of him, shaking his head.

“Wait, Kaito! Think of this for a second with that genius brain of yours! If we tell the Queen, she’ll specifically increase security! That will only cause a greater counter-reaction from our enemy!”, he pleaded, his tone not missing the opportunity for sarcasm. 

Kaito pushed him aside, “First of all, stop calling me a genius, I know you don’t mean it. And second of all, what exactly are you suggesting?”, he asked.

“That we investigate this situation ourselves more before we jump to any conclusions. And of course not worry the Queen anymore than we have to”, he answered, his eyes darting between the knight captain and the secret hatch. 

Groaning, Kaito slammed a hand to his forehead in frustration. 

“Gah, alright fine. We’ll take a look around first, okay?”, he agreed.

“Wait! We’re going to need special help on this one”, Kokichi warned as he saw Kaito approaching the hatch. Kaito jerked back around, his face exasperated by the constant back and forth Kokichi always ran him through.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I meeeean, whatever was hidden down there has to have some kind of protection, right? Otherwise what’s the point? We’re going to need someone specialized in dealing with traps and the like”, he explained as if he was lecturing a small child on something obvious.

Kaito sighed, seeing the logic, but still unhappy with the reality.

“So you want to get someone else involved? Who the hell do you even know anyway?”, Kaito asked, stepping away from the hatch with a husky groan. Kokichi snickered in response.

“Oh, you’ll  _ love _ her, I’m sure”, he said ominously.

* * *

 

The group of adventurers had decided to take their mid-day break inside a cave the spawned beneath the main road. They had been walking since morning and were making good time, but it was clear they required a bit of rest before moving on. 

“Nyaa… Gonta… gimmie water”, Himiko moaned as she slid against the cave wall and into the refreshing shade. The giant gardener quickly obliged by unstrapping a canteen from his hip and handing it to the young mage. 

“It is rather hot today… Gonta wishes he had hat like that”, Gonta noted, staring at the witch’s hat enviously. Truthfully it must provide good protection from the sun… 

“You’d look much better with a straw hat, Gonta! Or maybe a bonnet!”, Angie remarked, her keen eye for aesthetics encroaching. Gonta shook his head, unenthralled by the suggestion.

“Gentlemen do not wear bonnets… pretty sure”, he said simply.

Off by the cave entrance, Tenko was about to toss a handful of locally procured berries in her mouth. Rantarou grabbed her wrist mid-swing and shook his head. 

“Those are poisonous, you know”, he warned.

She tore her hand away, “Bah! The only poison here is you, menace!”, she declared as she chomped down on them anyway… immediately spitting them out. They must have tasted foul from the get-go. Rantarou sighed and crossed his arms in disapproval.

“Do you… listen to anyone? Like, ever?”, he pondered.

“Oh, shut up! You think you knooo--”, Tenko began chastising him before she wobbled in her footing, clutching her head with a dreary expression. Rantarou caught her as she lost her balance, and to his surprise she offered no resistance… as she was quickly rendered unconscious.

“W-What the…?”, he exclaimed, jerking his head around to see the others similarly slumping into sleep. A cloudy gas was crawling out from the back of the cave, enveloping the entire area. Rantarou tried to hold his breath but it was too late. They were caught in some kind of trap.

He fell to his knees, lamenting his carelessness as his head hit the ground just in time to see five small silhouettes in the distance…

* * *

 

Kiibo knocked on the door of the prisoner’s room as he usually did, holding a tray of food. 

“Lunch”, he said plainly as he fit the key into the lock. He supposed he didn’t have to knock, but figured the prisoner would appreciate the warning of entry on some level. As he opened the door, he saw the wolven familiar hunched over by the edge of the room, looking discomforted. 

Shuichi gazed up at the homunculus and got up to his feet to accept his meal. His steps were weaker than they should’ve been and his overall movements were more sluggish. He took the tray and plopped down on the floor right there to eat.

“Are you feeling unwell?”, Kiibo asked. If something happened to the prisoner, it could interfere with his master’s plans. He had to be sure, just in case.

Between shovelling pieces of buttered bread into his mouth, Shuichi replied, “I feel weak… and hungry, but not for food, exactly. Like a different kind of hunger… I’ve never felt this way before”. His face looked a bit disheveled, beyond what a prisoner as cozily accommodated as himself should. 

“Hm. I believe you’re experiencing the expected mana withdrawal… nothing to do about that, I suppose”, Kiibo summised. 

“Mana withdrawal?”, Shuichi stammered, stopping himself from taking a sip of water.

“I’m surprised you don’t know. When a familiar is separated from their bound mage for too long, they begin to undergo withdrawal symptoms. Your body needs mana, it craves it so when it doesn’t receive it, it reacts in negative ways”, he explained with authority. 

“B-But it hasn’t been a week yet… we usually do the transference on a weekly basis...”, Shuichi argued. 

“Ah, the transference is necessary to maintain your physical form. But in reality, your body is constantly siphoning small amounts of mana from your mage partner. It nourishes you, sustains you mentally and such. Without it, your body is upset and your mind becomes increasingly erratic”, he went on in a clinical tone.

Then how… how is the Warlock existing without a master? Even more reasons why it should be impossible… unless… 

Shuichi nearly choked on his water when he realized it. Of course, it was obvious the more he considered the possibility. It had to be black magic… human souls converted into mana. The most forbidden magical practice of them all. That was the only explanation for how a familiar could possibly sustain themselves without being bound to a mage.

Mana was a life energy that was naturally emitted from souls. Mages drew their power from the richness of their souls. But if you were to consume a soul on its own, you could acquire an immense amount of mana immediately. But doing so…

“Why are you doing this?”, Shuichi demanded.

“Excuse me?”, Kiibo asked, taken aback.

“Soul magic… when you consume human souls… you destroy them! It’s an unnatural betrayal of the cycle of life! Souls that are burnt up in dark rituals… they can never be reincarnated into new forms or transcend to other planes! It’s worse than even murder…”, Shuichi cried out.

Kiibo looked troubled but stood his ground. 

“T-That might be! But it is my master’s orders! It’s not my place to question--”, he began.

“Why do you even follow him? All he does is mistreat you! That’s not how a master should be!”, Shuichi argued.

“What happens between my master and I is none of your business!”, Kiibo yelled desperately.

Shuichi could sense the homunculi’s conflicted feelings. “You don’t have to do this… You’re not even bound to him like I am to mine. You can stop this at any time”, he pleaded. But Kiibo shook his head vigorously.

“I would not ask you to betray your master! So don’t tell me to betray mine!”, Kiibo snapped. 

“My master is kind! She’s only wants to see others happy! That’s why she wants to be a mage! Not make them suffer! You follow a wicked man who treats his own creation like trash and flagrantly burns the souls of innocent people for his own use! That’s not how magic should be used!”, Shuichi shouted, the pain of withdrawal piercing his gut as he spoke. 

The more he thought about her… the more his body craved her mana.

Kiibo only turned away, “You don’t understand! It’s different for me!”, was all he said as he slammed the door shut. Shuichi sat in the dark and finished his meal… wondering just how long his body would hold out. He hoped her journey was going smoothly...

* * *

 

When Himiko awoke, she found herself on an uncomfortably stiff floor. She rubbed her eyes as she was nearly blinded by bright solid colors from all angles. There was a strange echo when she put her hands on the floor. Getting to her feet, and taking a good look around, she was extremely confused about just where she had ended up. 

The last thing she remembered was talking to the others at the mouth of a cave under the forest path… but now she found herself in some bizarre-looking meadow with large castles in the distance. Except when she looked closer, she realized those weren’t castles at all…

More like… illustrations of castles… 

She looked to the ground, which suddenly looked fake to her. And the grass was all flat as well with no texture to it. Even the floor where she awoke was all one unnaturally bright shade of red with big golden letters inscribed in it… it said… START.

It was then that she was filled with a sense of dread as she slowly turned her head to the sky, which was not a sky at all. It looked just like the ceiling of the cave but how was that possible? Before she could ponder anything else, a giant figure rose over the horizon.

It looked like some kind of bear, but it was massive. One half was white as snow, but the other was a solid crimson. In its mouth was a giant, golden pacifier. It raised its enormous arms in excitement as its squeaky voice echoed across this fake-looking land.

“Yaaaay! You’re awake! Finally we can start the game!”, it said with an upbeat chipperness.

Suddenly more color-looking bears loomed over the horizon, one of them carrying what appeared to be a glass jar. It casually thrust it towards the ground, causing several people to roll out of it and onto the fake floor. Himiko ran to her companions with a distressed cry as they groggily picked themselves up off the floor. 

“Nyaa!? G-Guys!? What h-happened to you? W-What happened to us? Where a-are we?”, she stammered out in desperation. 

“G-Gonta doesn’t know! Gonta went to sleep and then was here!”, Gonta shouted in shock.

“What awful taste… Atua does not approve…”, Angie lamenting, gazing around at the simplistic artwork the surrounded them. 

“That’s not important right now, you idiot!”, Tenko shouted at her.

Rantarou looked up at their giant captors with a piercing glare. 

“Careful everyone… these are highly dangerous magical beasts. They’ve shrunk us down to this size… we’re still in the cave as far as I can tell but these guys shouldn’t be any higher than our knees”, he explained. 

“Yo! Watch yo mouth, you punk-ass! We ain’t just any beasts!”, a wild-looking blue bear yelled from on high. 

“That’s right! How disrespectful to your hosts to call us mere beasts!”, a pink-ish feminine-looking bear said.

“Yeaaah! We’z the Monokubs! And you best be ‘memberin’ that!”, a yellow one with glasses called out.

“DADDY WENT OUT FOR CIGARETTES AND NEVER CAME BACK! WE GET SO BORED AND LONELY HERE! BUT WE LOVE GETTING VISITORS!”, a weirdly sharp-angled green one yelled.

“That’s right! And now that you’ll all awake, we can finally start the game!”, the red one declared happily. 

“G-Game…?”, Himiko shuttered, taking another look around… realizing they were standing on what, to them, was a massive game board. These magical beasts had shrunk them down to the size of beans and were about to start some kind of board game… with them as the pieces.

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**END**


	12. Please Bear With Us

**(A/N: Geez, I keep forgetting to post here. Head's up that I post new chapters to Amino first and here second, after some time. So if you think it's been awhile, try checking my Amino account.)**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Please Bear With Us**

“Gonta does not understand… why everything look so shiny and weird?”, Gonta pondered, poking a very fake tree with his presumably real finger. The group of would-be rescuers found themselves in a strange place with even stranger talking bears lording high above them, like… plump, furry, color-coded gods of some sort.

“It’s a board game, buddy. Everything here is artificial, made of plastic. A moldable and hard substance, likely imported from more industrial countries”, Rantarou explained. 

Himiko pounded her foot on the floor, which was made of a colorful cardboard. The Kingdom of Saishuu had not yet fully embraced these newer, more mass-produced materials so the sensation was unfamiliar. 

“Forget that! Why are we so small? C-Can’t you change us back to normal size with your magic, Himiko!?”, Tenko cried, having a slight existential crisis at the sight of giant bears. 

Embarrassed, Himiko twitched nervously and stuck her fingers together in an uneasy gesture. “Ah… n-not really, no”, she admitted, recalling what happened to the poor rats last time she practiced size-changing spells. So… much… blood… everywhere…

“I’m sure if everyone presents an offering, Atua will restore us to our normal forms!”, Angie suggested, holding out her wrists for ritualistic tribute. 

“I-I’m not giving some creepy made-up God my b-blood!”, Tenko said defiantly.

Angie blinked. “Blood? No no, silly! We’re to build an altar from our severed hands!”, she exclaimed with an upbeat attitude not at all befitting the situation they found themselves in.

Tenko leapt back with startled expression, hiding behind and clutching Himiko’s shoulders. “T-That’s even worse! W-What a greedy G-God!”, she shouted. Himiko shook her off and pulled away.

“Nyaa! Don’t touch me!”, she snapped. 

Not comprehending the meaning of those words, Tenko smiled. “It’s okay if you’re scared, Himiko. But I’ll protect you from whatever these bears throw at us!”, she declared boldly. 

Himiko pulled the rim of her hat over her eyes and spat, “I’m more scared of you than the bears”. 

Speaking of, one of the bears, the gruff-looking blue one shouted, “Grrr! They’re jus’ ignorin’ us! This is all Monodam’s fault for bein’ too damn quiet!”. With a swift movement, it gave the green one a whack upside the head. 

The pink one shouted in response, “That’s no good, Monokid! There shouldn’t be violence among siblings!”. The blue one, known as Monokid, simply brushed her off. 

“But Monodam’s ugly-ass looks are a vio-lent assault on all our eyes!”, Monokid argued.

“That aside… shouldn’t we’z be startin’ the game?”, the yellow one snidely remarked whilst pushing his glasses obnoxiously. 

“Monosuke’s right! This conversation is just pure filler with no purpose!”, the pink shrieked in a girly voice befitting of a… girl?

“Whaaaa? But we haven’t even established all our names yet! ...Monophanie”, the red one leapt up and panicked. The group collectively slapped their paws to their foreheads and moaned in unison. 

“YOU HAVE JUST KILLED ANY SENSE OF SUBTLETY, MONOTAROU”, Monodam bellowed, unaware of the irony of the statement. 

Stepping up to the metaphorical hotplate, Rantarou shouted, “Hey! Now that that’s done with, what exactly are you going to do with us?”. He had a look of impatience and determination about him as the bears exchanged awkward glances with one another.

“Uh, that is…”, Monosuke whimpered.

“Hey! Fearless leader! What are the DAMN rules here? What the FUCK are we playin’!?”, Monokid shouted, as he apparently did often.

The red bear was frantically flipping through an old instruction book. 

“I don’t know! I don’t knoooow! None of this makes any sense! It’s all just gibberish!”, Monotarou cried in desperation as if everything he had ever attempted in his life had lead to nothing but miserable failure and--

“Monotarou, you’re holding the book upside-down…”, Monophanie pointed out.

Stunned, he quickly flipped the book around. “Ah! That’s better! Hey! All of you! Go to the starting circle!”, he ordered the captive miniatures.

“Like we’re going to do anything you sa--”, Tenko attempted to argue before falling to her knees in pain from her collar. Rantarou held down a finger to his bracelet, shaking his head.

“Just go with it. This game board is enchanted, it’s likely we won’t be able to return to normal size unless we play the game”, he explained. Begrudgingly, Tenko got back to her feet and marched to the starting circle with the rest of the group.

“Now we’re going to pick characters! Everyone take a good look at these stat sheets and choose carefully!”, Monotarou announced, holding on a series of cards. 

“Huh? What is ‘stat sheet’?”, Gonta mumbled, scratching his head in confusion.

“It probably means the game board is about to analyze our capabilities”, Rantarou suggested.

“I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY AS THAT ONE”, Monodam declared, pointing a hard-looking paw at Rantarou, “HIS STAT SPREAD IS HIGH AND BALANCED”. He held up the stat card with pride and frivolity. 

**> Rantarou**

**> Class: Adventurer**

**> HP: 150**

**> Attack: 100**

**> Defense: 90**

**> Sp. Attack: 100**

**> Sp. Defense: 120**

**> Speed: 85**

“Huh… interesting to see it quantified like that”, Rantarou noted to himself.

“Fuck it! I’m gonna pick at random!”, Monokid shouted as he drew a stat card and held it up, not even bothering to look at it.

**> Tenko**

**> Class: Fighter**

**> HP: 115**

**> Attack: 75**

**> Defense: 110**

**> Sp. Attack: 30**

**> Sp. Defense: 35**

**> Speed: 130**

“T-That speed stat is the bane of my existence…”, Himiko muttered to herself bitterly.

“T-That speed stat is the pride of my life!”, Tenko shouted cheerfully, not hearing the previous remark as she let out a flurry of kicks in random directions.

“Tch! Is that how we’re doing this? You’re an idiot, Monokid. This is how it’s done”, Monosuke remarked as he carefully considered the options, picking a card he thought would bring him victory in a game he had never played before and knew little about.

**> Angie**

**> Class: Priest**

**> HP: 90**

**> Attack: 50**

**> Defense: 65**

**> Sp. Attack: 80**

**> Sp. Defense: 120**

**> Speed: 95**

“Nyohoho! My faith in Atua grants me protection!”, Angie chimed in with a twirl. 

“Grrr… I’m picking her! Because she’s red just like me and I have an incessant need to project my insecurities onto fictional characters!”, Monotarou shouted, pointing at the young mage who took a step back from his intensity as he slammed a stat card on the table.

**> Himiko**

**> Class: Mage**

**> HP: 40**

**> Attack: 30**

**> Defense: 30**

**> Sp. Attack: 200**

**> Sp. Defense: 180**

**> Speed: 100**

“Geez, a real min-maxer here. A regular glass canon”, Monosuke pointed out.

“Monotarou, you shouldn’t be ashamed of your red fur! It makes you who you are!”, Monophanie reassured him. 

“You’re right! My entire identity should be based around arbitrary qualities like color or sexual preference! FROM NOW ON I AM ABOUT ALL THINGS RED! I’m gonna start a hashtag to promote red values! I’m going to describe every mood with red-this and red-that! I’m going to take offense to every color-related issue regardless of whether it affects my life or not!”, Monotarou ranted.

“T-That’s not exactly what I meant…”, Monophanie sighed. 

“What in the goddamn hell is a ‘hashtag’?”, Monokid demanded to know.

“IT’S NOT MY JOB TO EDUCATE YOU, YOU ENTITLED BLUEBY! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUSTIFY YOUR IGNORANCE WITH YOUR BLUE PRIVILEGE?”, Monotarou whined.

“But… youse guys have had the same exact upbringin’ and all…”, Monosuke noted.

“Daddy always liked him best! I was nothing more than the red-headed stepchild!”, Monotarou complained.

“But you ARE a fuckin’ red-head, you dumb sack of SHIT!”, Monokid argued back.

Gonta crossed his arms and grimaced deeply, “Gonta cannot keep up with their conversation… Gonta try his best but…”. 

“Their bickering is on a whole other level…”, Himiko observed, a worried scowl growing on her face.

“Hmph! I guess I’ll just take the last one then! Every though he isn’t pink at all!”, Monphanie stated, drawing the last stat card.

**> Gonta**

**> Class: Druid**

**> HP: 300**

**> Attack: 175**

**> Defense: 175**

**> Sp. Attack: 40**

**> Sp. Defense: 50**

**> Speed: 30**

“Nyaheehee! Gonta is slow but powerful!”, Angie commented.

“Wait, you’re a druid?”, Himiko pondered.

“Gonta is a druid!?!”, Gonta stammered in shock.

“I think you’re a druid, buddy”, Rantarou said.

“Quick, you degenerate ape! Summon a giant vine to rescue us!”, Tenko demanded.

“G-Gonta cannot do that! Gonta is not magic!”, Gonta snapped back.

“Himiko! Use your magic to summon a giant vine to rescue us!”, Tenko pleaded, shaking Himiko by the shoulders once more.

“Nyaa! I’m not a druid! And s-stop touching me already!”, she shouted, brushing her hands off.

“EVERYONE STOP ARGUING SO WE CAN PLAY THE GAME”, Monodam yelled boisterously. 

“Ah, thank you, Monodam. You’re a credit to your chromatic identity”, Monotarou affirmed, nodding humbly. 

“Now just wait a FUCKIN’ minute! Just what the hell do ya mean by that!?”, Monokid shot up.

“Oh nothing, just that Monodam is very admirable… for a cold-color that is”, Monotarou replied.

“Monotarou! Why do you have to draw lines between us!? Shouldn’t siblings be beyond color wars?”, Monophanie pleaded. 

“Now just hold on a fuckin’ second! Ain’t nothin’ Monodam does better than me!”, Monokid angrily raved. 

“Look at this poor blueby! Can’t even talk all good like!”, Monotarou chided.

“I don’t think youse is much better, honestly…”, Monosuke said.

“Wait a minute! If we’re going by warm and cold colors, doesn’t that mean Monokid and Monodam are on the same team!?”, Monophanie pointed out.

“Whaaaat the FUCK is up with that!? I don’t wanna be on Monodam’s stupid FUCKIN’ team! That’s BULLSHIT!”, Monokid denied fervantly, wailing his arms around like a child.

“WELL THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULD’VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU DECIDED TO BE BORN BLUE!”, Monotarou shot back.

“Wait, since when was this a team game? I thought dis was every’ man for hisself!”, Monosuke stated in confusion.

The adventuring party each gradually transitioned to sitting down on the starting circle as the bears’ pretty arguments raged on, seemingly without end.

“We could be here awhile…”, Rantarou noted solemnly…

* * *

 

On the cold floor of the darkened room laid Shuichi, drenched in his own sweat and breathing heavily. His head was pounding, palms clammy and expression dazed. He had been doing push-ups so long that the stillness was almost unnerving. The past few hours had been a mind-numbing rhythm of ups and downs that served to distract his mind from her.

He was feverish and exhausted, and any sense of time was lost upon him. How long had he been exercising? How long until his next meal? How long had it been since he tasted her mana…

No! He shook his head, trying to snapping himself back to reason. 

It had only been a few days… only a few days. That’s what he kept telling himself. But there was a part of his mind that doubted his convictions. Like it had all been leading up to some grand plot twist that he had been imprisoned for the past two years or something.

But that was impossible, he knew. If it had been that long, he would have vanished long ago. That thought, whilst truthful, did not bring him comfort. It only reminded him that his situation was growing more dire by the imperceptible moment. His reserves had to be nearly half depleted…

The only reprieve from these dreadful thoughts was reminiscing of better days… days spent with his master. Little anecdotes from the past filled his mind and almost made him forget his pain… almost. In the end however, it always returned to that night… that kiss.

Was that how she felt about him? And more pressingly… was that how he saw her?

In his delirious state, there was no doubt in his mind that he would scream to the heavens that this was the case. But there was a nagging voice telling him that he was in state to make such assumptions. Was this feeling romantic love or just an overwhelming desire to be whole again? To feed off of her mana… her wonderful and pure mana…

He couldn’t be sure.

Maybe the council was right… maybe the relationship between master and familiar was too unbalanced for healthy love to blossom. Would he only end up hurting her if he gave in? Perhaps it was forbidden for a reason… 

He didn’t know what was right or how to feel about it. These were all just empty thoughts swimming throughout his mind as his body lay there in dull torment. These thoughts were dusted away by the sharp sound of someone knocking on his cell door, however.

“It’s me. I have your food… and something else”, called out Kiibo’s voice as he pushed the door open and saw the wolf familiar lying on the floor. In a fluster, Kiibo placed the tray on a side table and reached down to feel the captive’s forehead. 

His expression was troubled as he spoke, “Worse than I thought…”.

“Y-You weren’t kidding… about the w-withdrawal…”, Shuichi told him in a voice that hadn’t spoken since their last encounter. It was coarse and raspy, a far cry from Shuichi’s normally smooth and formal tone. 

Kiibo’s eyes darted back and forth, as if pondering a difficult question. Then, he pulled out a pouch from his robes and placed it in front of Shuichi. The familiar eyed it was both surprise and suspicion, as one might expect.

“This should help… they’re tango leaves. A plant with an extremely high concentration of life energy… it’s no mage’s mana, but it should alleviate your symptoms somewhat”, Kiibo explained as he pulled a drawstring to open the pouch, which as he said, was packed full of emerald leaves that shimmered a pale glow. 

A magical plant. Surely, this was valuable. 

“D-Does your master know y-you’re giving me these?”, Shuichi stammered out, his eyes fixated on the shimmering foliage… Kiibo was right, it was no substitute but… he could feel himself regaining composure just by their presence.

Kiibo bit his lip. 

“I-It is imperative that you are in reasonable condition, or else master’s plan may go awry which w-wouldn’t be--”, he began.

“S-So he doesn’t know…”, Shuichi muttered.

“Just eat one already”, Kiibo demanded.

As instructed, Shuichi took one of the glimmering leaves and started to chew it slowly. It tingled in his mouth as he felt his muscles loosen and relax. He breathed in through his nose and felt his chest rise and fall… this was good. He was starting to feel better, and he was amazed at how quickly it was happening.

“It’s sweet…”, he said, as he sat up straight.

“That’s all I was able to find, so make them last”, Kiibo warned him.

The moment passed in silence as Shuichi finished the leaf with a soft swallow. 

“...Why were you created?”, he asked out of the blue.

Kiibo was taken aback by the boldness of this query. The leaf must have stimulated his mind into a strange place.

“Master… made me for a purpose… a purpose I couldn’t fulfill”, he admitted.

“What kind of purpose?”.

“I c-can’t say… but even after I failed, master let me stay by his side… he trained me in magic, let me study in his library… he took pity on me even after I failed him”, Kiibo went on with a solemn tone. Whatever failure he was referring to… he felt great guilt concerning it.

“That’s how you knew of tango leaves”, Shuichi noted.

Kiibo nodded. 

“Master has no use for these now… he has gone far beyond the point that a plant could sustain him”, he explained. His eyes turned back to the familiar with an envious glance.

“What about you? Why do you exist?”, he asked.

“What do you mean?”, Shuichi asked back.

“A human familiar… is a very big drain on mana. It costs much to sustain one indefinitely… I am curious as to your role, given that your master could no doubt have advanced much faster in magic if she was not bound to you”, Kiibo elaborated.

Shuichi frowned as his shoulders fell. 

“She saved my life, a long time ago… we’ve been together ever since. I would’ve died if she hadn’t made a pact with me…”, he explained.

“Do you see? We’re not so different… we feel indebted to our masters and that is why we serve them”, Kiibo concluded, but Shuichi shook his head.

“No… that’s not it. That’s not why I serve her…”, he stuttered.

Kiibo was surprised as he pried, “...Then why?”.

Shuichi felt a warm feeling overtake him as he pondered that question. There was only one reason, above all others… it was something he felt he had forgotten in his painful withdrawal, only now could he start to remember clearly, if only for an instant. 

But he took slightly too long to respond, and Kiibo had picked himself up off the floor. 

“I should go, I have tasks to complete”, he stated firmly as he left the room.

Shuichi sighed and slid against the wall… the reason he served his master… 

...Was so he could see her smile.

* * *

 

Four hours of the bears’ bickering, blathering and bellowing later, Rantarou had finally had enough.

He stood and called out to the giant tiny bears, “HEY!”.

The bears stopped arguing and turned their attention to him.

“What the FUCK does this tiny-ass PUNK want!?”, Monokid demanded to know.

“Yea! Wez’ was jus’ bout’ to reach a thrillin’ climax!”, Monosuke chimed in.

“Whaddaya want, green-meanie? I’m trying to explain the importance of the hashtag Red Lives Matter movement!”, Monotarou exclaimed angrily.

“He keeps saying that word… it totally clashes with the setting though”, Monophanie observed, shrinking back from the heated argument her brothers were having.

Rantarou was struck with an idea… it was time to use one of the most important skills in the adventurer’s arsenal… speechcraft.

“Red Lives Matter, huh? Well, if red lives matter so much… why did you kidnap this poor, innocent red person?”, Rantarou asked in a sarcastic tone as he gestured to Himiko, who had nonchalantly fallen asleep waiting for the bears to do something.

“N-Nyaa?”, she mumbled as she perked up from her nap.

Monotarou put a paw to his mouth, deep in contemplation.

“Heeeey… come to think of it… who’s idea was it to kidnap these guys again?”, he asked aloud.

“IT WAS YOUR IDEA, YOU FORGETFUL FOOL”, Monodam blurted out.

“Whaaaat!? No way! I wouldn’t have remembered to forget to remember to forget not to do that!”, Monotarou shouted in shock. 

“...I can’t keep track of dez’ double negatives…”, Monosuke whimpered.

“But I can. And you just said that you didn’t want to forget to remember to let us go free, isn’t that right?”, Rantarou shot back, employing some kind of… some kind of psychology. 

Monotarou jumped for joy as he seemed to remember something he hadn’t even forgotten… atleast as far as he could remember that he hadn’t forgotten to remember, at any right.

“T-That’s right! I didn’t remember to forget to remember that! In fact… I might’ve forgotten to remember to forget that in the first place!”, he proclaimed as if that sentence made any sense or had any meaning whatsoever.

“B-But what about the game?”, Monophanies asked in surprise.

“Huh? Oh yeah… well, we can’t play it now. I used the instructions as kindling two hours ago!”, Monotarou replied. The other bears slipped off their feet in dumbfounded… dumbfoundedness. 

“You FUCKIN’ idiot! Then just what the HELL have we been arguing about all this time!?”, Monokid demand, shaking the red one’s shoulders vigorously. 

“Aaaagh! I don’t remember!”, he squealed.

“Anyways… I’m guessin’ wez’ don’t need dez’ guyses no mores”, Monosuke concluded, reaching over the flipping the board game mat off the table. As it fell on the floor, the tiny captives suddenly grew back to normal size and flung the board into the roaring fire in the center of the cave.

“Oww… Gonta hit his head on a rock…”, Gonta complained, shortly after hitting his head on a rock.

“Don’t worry… Atua will make it all better”, Angie commented as she gently rubbed a softly glowing hand on Gonta’s head, healing his bruise.

“Nyaa… we did it guys…”, Himiko cheered, still groggy from being awoken.

Tenko however, was not amused. She leapt to her feet and started kicking the now appropriately small bears around the cave as they ran every which way in terror. Rantarou thought about stopping her… but decided four hours of torment was enough to justify some payback.

In the end, she knocked the bears unconscious and the group finally left the cave. Nobody could even claim they got the satisfaction of surviving a perilous encounter. Everyone agreed the entire affair was a pointless waste of time and decided to do their best never to bring it up again. 

They spent the remainder of the day hiking through dense forest pathways as the elevation increased significantly. As the sun began to set, they arrived at yet another cave entrance. Rantarou held up the map to explain.

“This is it… this tunnel leads to the nation of Westros. It’s an old shortcut through a dangerous labyrinth”, he told them, pointing to the spot on the map clearly marked ‘dangerous labyrinth, do not go through this way no matter what you do’.

“Uhh… why are we going through here?”, Himiko asked, startled by the threatening message on the map. 

“This way is far quicker than marching all the way around the mountain range and last I checked, time was of the essence”, he informed her. Himiko silently nodded in agreement… it had been nearly four days since Shuichi was taken. 

“It’s okay! Gonta will go first and protect friends from harm!”, Gonta declared, raising his arm as a willing volunteer. 

“Not this time, buddy. I’m taking point on this one”, Rantarou said was a disapproving look, “This place is no joke, if we’re not careful… someone could easily die here”.

“Odds are good it’ll be one of these menaces though!”, Tenko chimed in. She expected to get some kind of reaction out of Rantarou, but he just stood there in stoic silence like she hadn’t said anything. This fact annoyed Tenko for reasons that only annoyed her even more than that.

As the sun fully set behind the horizon and darkness crept in, Rantarou spoke once more.

“This is dark place… you might encounter something worse than monsters in here… be ready for that”, were his ominous words. 

Himiko pulled out her staff and cast a peculiar spell. 

“Luhas ouralis!”, she chanted, as five golden flames burst forth from the tip of her staff and hovered over each member of the group. 

“It’s a night-light spell, essentially. It’ll follow us so we can see where we’re going”, she explained. 

Angie poked her flame curiously, making a shocked expression when it did not burn her.

The group formed a line with Rantarou in the lead and marched into the dark tunnel.

Not knowing what could possibly await them within.

**Chapter Twelve**

**END**


	13. You're Really Bugging Me

**Chapter Thirteen**

**You’re Really Bugging Me**

“It’s fucking official! You’ve got more traps down here than one of  _ those  _ comics!”, an obnoxious woman bellowed, putting extra emphasis on the word ‘those’. The busty barmaid pulled on a long string to retrieve a strange device she had thrown into the trap door, which had been hidden in the dungeons of the palace. 

The Jester and Knight Captain stood behind her as she worked, neither understanding the process all that much. “Just how the hell does that thing tell you that?”, Kaito asked aloud, pointing at the unusual apparatus. It looked like long silver box with various sized holes along its surface. 

“Tch! You guys don’t have the brains to understand! This baby uses sonic frequencies to find shit buried in the dirt or hidden in the walls!”, she explained in an overly confrontational manner.

“Oooh! Thanks, Miu! I totally get it now!”, Kokichi chirped.

Kaito elbowed him in the ribs, “No you don’t, quit lying”.

Kokichi puffed out his cheeks, “It’s not my fault you’re so stupid!”, he cried.

“Listen up, pissants! One of you chuckefucks has to plant this baby into the ground. The vibrations in causes will set off the traps on the floor”, Miu demanded, holding up a rather phallic looking object. 

“W-What? Why c-can’t you do it? Ain’t that what we’re goddamn payin’ you for!?”, Kaito argued, taking a step back from the clearly intimidating device. 

“Well… you see…”, Miu began, bending her arms inward towards her chest, “My boobs are just so massive that they could never fit through that tiny-ass door”, she whined as an excuse. While their great size could not be denied, it was quite obvious to anyone with a functional pair of eyes that the trap door was more than wide enough to accomodate them. 

Unfortunately for her, Kaito did possess a functional pair of eyes.

“Argh! Quit making shit up! You’re just scared!”, he shouted accusingly.

“Well then, hotshot, if it ain’t scary, you shouldn’t have any problem going in there yourself! Or is this thing bigger than you are?”, Miu asked sarcastically, shaking the phallic device in her hand like a dog toy.

With his manhood directly challenged, Kaito, of course, had no choice but to accept. He snatched the device from her hands and descended into the hole in the floor. With this act, Miu began to snicker in the background, mumbling something about men entering holes. Kaito grit his teeth and rolled his eyes as he took careful steps down the built-in ladder.

He found himself in a dusty-looking catacomb, with shambled wooden beams holding back cobblestone walls. It was too dark to see beyond what the light from above illuminated, but Kaito didn’t want to take any chances setting foot on potentially rigged ground. Reaching down, he stabbed the phallic-looking device into the surprisingly soft dirt-floor. 

“Okay! It’s in the ground… but it’s not doing anything!”, Kaito shouted back up.

“You gotta turn it on first, dumbass!”, Miu yelled back.

“What? Well, how do I turn it on?”, Kaito asked.

“Give it a good stroke! Duh!”, she snapped back as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Which from a certain warped perspective (Miu’s), it probably was.

“W-What the fuck!? I’m not doing that!”, Kaito told her angrily, his face burning.

“What’s the matter? Afraid you won’t be able to turn it on?”, Miu called back condescendingly. 

“S-Shut the hell up! Kokichi! You come down here and turn it on then!”, Kaito demanded.

“We’re not switching positions just because you can’t turn it on, Kaito!”, Kokichi yelled, playing along.

Seeing as there was clearly no negotiating with these two, Kaito reluctantly bent down and started gently stroking the cold metallic cylinder with weirdly accurate gruviture. But still, there was nothing. He called back up in an embarrassed tone, “G-Guys! It’s still not doing anything!”.

“Stroke it harder! Come on! Really work it!”, Miu instructed with no sympathy. 

“Nobody likes a dead fish, Kaito!”, Kokichi taunted.

With a pained expression, Kaito tightened his grip on the device and started caressing it more intensely. His head was full of many repetitive thoughts such as; ‘It’s for the Kingdom… It’s for the Kingdom…’ and ‘I’m gonna kill her… I’m gonna kill her’, which gave him very small comfort.

After a moment, the device started vibrating and Kaito let go just as it began to form cracks in the surface of the ground as it shook violently. Further ahead, he could hear sounds of snapping metal and darts, no doubt poisonous, flying through the air. It had done its job and neutralized the traps. Breathing a sigh of relief, Kaito hopped off of the ladder. 

Kokichi dove in after him, carrying a roaring torch. “Huh, Kaito? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be hiding in a closet?”, he asked sarcastically with a snicker. Kaito promptly whacked him upside the head and grumbled away. 

Miu climbed down as well and started pretending to shiver upon reaching the bottom. “Y-You boys b-better not have looked… ah… h-hey!”, she shouted, noticing that the boys were not once actually looking at her and that Kokichi was trying to get Kaito to step into a reactivated bear trap. Her gag was foiled… how would she ever recover…

“Why is she coming with us? Aren’t all the traps disabled?”, Kaito asked aloud.

“Yeah, for the next ten feet, genius”, she said sarcastically as she strode forward.

“Also, I miiiight’ve told her she could have any gold that might be down here… it was the only thing I could say to get her to help”, Kokichi admitted, feigning sincerity. 

“--You what!?”, Kaito shouted.

* * *

 

“Nyaa!!”, the young mage shouted in panic.

The rescue party found themselves running down a tunnel as a giant boulder rolled closer and closer to them. How did they ever get themselves into this predicament? Oh, it’s quite a funny story. But it was kind of one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments. Another time, maybe.

The tunnel curved up and down and side to side, but the boulder did not give up the chase. At various points it seemed to even defy the laws of physics in its attempt to crush them. If there was any singular word one could use to describe the behavioral aspects of this particular boulder, it would be ‘murderous and determined’.

Wait, that’s two words…

Gonta scooped up Angie and Himiko and hoisted them onto his shoulders as he made long strides away from certain death. “Gonta has you, friends! Gonta has you and Gonta will not let go!”, he shouted as he leapt over a gap in the ground. The boulder passed it with ease, continuing to chase its victims with malicious glee… presumably, it’s hard to read the expression of a boulder.

Every time it started to gain on them, Himiko cast a spell that pushed it back slightly. She racked her brain for anything more she could do to stop it, but she was too panicked for anything to come to mind other than ice magic… which wouldn’t go well.

“Jalai! Jalai! Jalai!”, she chirped as she flicked her wand forward.

This only served to prolong their demise however, the boulder’s rage would not be sated. It was out for blood after centuries of dormancy. But don’t judge it too hard, anyone who’s been stuck in a cave forever would probably go stir-crazy. Truly, a tragic being.

“Himiko! Atua says you should make the boulder explode!”, Angie shouted in a voice that sounded like she was having an inappropriate amount of fun, given the scenario.

“Nyaa!? B-But that could cause a c-cave-in!”, she argued.

“Wait until we reach a clearing of some kind! There’s gotta be one somewhere up ahead!”, Rantarou ordered. 

“Aaaaah! Master never taught me how to fight rocks!”, Tenko screamed with a terrified face as she glanced back at the rolling ball of death that was gradually encroaching upon them. The tunnel shook with a fury as dirt clouds burst from the cracks. It would seem the boulder was causing a significant amount of structural damage to the area.

With his keen senses, Rantarou was the only one to notice an upcoming split in the passage. With a rallying shout, he lead everyone in leaping to the left just as the boulder turned into the right side. The group tumbled onto the ground of an open space as the boulder past them by. But just as everyone was picking themselves up and breathing sighs of relief… 

The boulder randomly rolled back up through the passage and turned into the clearing itself!

“Nyaaaa!?! Is this b-boulder c-cursed!?”, Himiko cried in horror.

“Himiko! Now!”, Rantarou demanded, bracing for potential impact.

“Himiko! I’ll protect you!”, Tenko yelled as she dove in and wrapped her arms around the young mage as though to shield her. In that same moment, Himiko had readied her wand and began to cast a spell, when her aim was suddenly shifted off-course towards the ceiling.

“E-Esirudo!?!”, she stammered in shock. 

A charged bolt of magical power shot out of the wand and caused an explosion in the small space between the boulder and the ceiling. This caused the boulder to splinter from the top down as parts of the ceiling were blown outward. Rock fragments scattered in all directions at dangerous speeds until--

While attempting to run away, Angie was struck in the head by a piece of fallen rock and collapsed onto the cave floor with a rough thud. Himiko’s eyes widened as she used strength she didn’t know she had to forcibly shove Tenko off of her. Himiko scampered to her feet and dashed over to her friend’s side.

Angie was unconscious… blood rapidly slipping down her face. 

“This not good! Gonta will stop the bleeding!”, Gonta shouted as he began to dig through Angie’s pouch of medical supplies to find bandage wraps. His large hands fumbled around as he began to address Angie’s wound. 

Tenko only stood back and watched with a guilty expression, her entire posture uncertain and scared. “L-Listen… Himiko, I--”, she tried to begin with a whimper, but it did not get through. The young mage’s normally gentle hands formed fists as she grit her teeth. She turned around to face her so quickly that one could hardly believe it was the same lazy girl they knew.

“No! I won’t listen! I don’t care what you have to say!”, she shouted in a tone she hadn’t ever used before. Her voice was shaky and deeply hurt, as if speaking that way betrayed her very nature.

“We’re not friends! We never were friends and we never will be! All you do is make me miserable! You’re so selfish! And stupid! And I never want to see you again!”, she screamed, her stance aggressive and rigid. 

“I-I… I j-just thought t-that…”, Tenko tried to argue, but the young mage would have none of it.

“No you didn’t! You don’t think! You don’t care how I feel! If you did, you would get out of my life and leave me alone! You say horrible things about my friends and don’t care if they get hurt because of you!”, she snapped, her eyes welling up with tears.

Tenko bit her lip and shivered, as if something very unpleasant was bubbling to the surface of her mind. Something that she didn’t want to remember, or something she could never admit. It hurts more than anything to be hated by someone you care about. In her mind, it had always been about protecting her, getting closer to her… all the details didn’t matter. If they could become friends, they could always work it out later, she had assumed. 

But that wasn’t the way things worked.

And so she ran. She ran from Himiko in the direction of an adjacent passageway with tears in her eyes. Master had told her to never run and yet here she was doing just that. Because it hurt to be rejected when her intentions were so earnest. If she had been wrong all along, she didn’t have the social tact to know it. That was the part that stung the most. The idea that she was lacking something as a person… 

That something that was so obvious to everyone else was simply missing from her mind. 

The idea that she was just a failure of a person.

Rantarou closed his eyes and sighed, knowing that he couldn’t just leave Tenko alone in such a dangerous place. He hesitated leaving the rest of them on their own, but knew it couldn’t be helped.

“Stay here and take care of Angie… I’ll handle Tenko”, he ordered, rushing out of the clearing and after the sobbing aikido girl.

There was silence after that. 

“Is Himiko… alright? Gonta is worried…”, Gonta murmured as he finished tightening Angie’s bandages and propped up her head on his lap. 

The young mage stood still as a statue, her fists still clenched. 

“Ny-- No… Himiko is… is not alright…”, she admitted in a somber tone. 

Nothing she said was wrong, but for some reason it still hurt her heart to say. She had never had to confront someone like that before… her life before all this had been too peaceful for such things. She wanted to return to those days where her biggests worries were that Kokichi might be planning pranks… or that her familiar liked the Court Minstrel more than her… or that the council might fail her on a quarterly exam...

Those worries seemed so stupid and pointless now.

“Gonta isn’t smart… Gonta only knows about bugs and plants… Gonta isn’t good with people problems but… Gonta think Himiko will be okay soon”, Gonta said nervously. 

“...W-What makes you t-think that?”, she stuttered.

“Because Himiko is strong! Even stronger than Gonta! Not in muscles but in heart!”, Gonta said encouragingly. The young mage turned away and fell to the ground as she started to wiped away her tears. Why was she crying anyway? Tenko deserved it, she was sure of it.

“Tenko not nice to Gonta… Tenko say mean things, hurt guards, and is very rude… but if you feel sad now… that means you feel bad about hurting her anyway… Gonta thinks that mean Himiko is very kind”, Gonta said, stumbling over his words. He wasn’t used to expressing thoughts this complex.

Himiko swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. Gonta was right… even though she had said all of those things, she didn’t hate Tenko. She didn’t have a heart that was capable of hate, not really. As much as she wished Tenko would stop all the things that made her uncomfortable… she didn’t want to be the one to spell it out for her. Maybe that’s why she was so hesitant to directly confront her… 

It took Angie getting hurt because of it for her to realize the things that needed to be said.

But it hurt her to have to hurt someone else like that. Was this compassion a weakness? 

What would she do when she confronted the one who stole Shuichi from her?

Did she have a heart strong enough to fight that person?

The young mage looked down at Angie’s pained face and sighed. She just didn’t know.

Meanwhile in a pile of rubble near the tunnels… something twitched and became still.

* * *

 

When Rantarou found Tenko, she was sitting up against a dark cave wall, arms wrapped around her knees. Illuminated only by the lonely light of the spell the mage had cast earlier. The entire area was nearly pitch black, so their enchantments gave off the impression that they were under spotlights upon a stage.

“W-What!?”, she snapped, “...D-Did you think you could t-take advantage of me in t-this compromised state, you d-despicable m-menace!?”. Even though it was just like to say such a thing, this time it rang hollow. Like her heart just wasn’t in it at all.

Rantarou mentally prepared himself. He knew this situation called for being more harsh than he would like. “You ever think that’s your problem? Someone tries to help you and you push them away?”, he shouted. 

“I-I… I don’t n-need help from you!”, she replied defiantly. 

“Right, that’s why you’re sitting here. Alone in the dark… because you don’t need help”, he snarked.

She didn’t respond to that. Tenko hung her head in shame. A long silence followed. 

“...B-But why do you w-want to help me?”, she asked in a low voice one would never expect from her. In fact, her entire body language shifted from sheltered and defensive to being loose and vulnerable. 

“I h-hate you… and you know that I hate you… so why did you follow me?”, she asked, weakly. 

Rantarou sighed, took a few steps forward and sat down directly in front of her. He had been through conversations like this one before. More times than he would care to admit. 

“Do you know why I’m an adventurer? My folks died when I was just a kid. They left behind a big family… I have three older brothers and a dozen little sisters… what are the odds, right? After our parents passed, we all had to take care of eachother. I became an adventurer because we needed more money than any normal job would pay”, he began to explain.

“I guess you could say I’ve been helping people all my life… my family… strangers with coin to spare… compared to that, you’re like a kitten stuck in a tree. It comes naturally to me now, for better or worse…”, he went on. Tenko’s brow furrowed… the way this menace described himself almost seemed… noble.

“But it gets pretty lonely sometimes… when you’re out in the world by yourself. Hunting monsters, finding treasure… it’s just as exciting as it sounds, but it sucks to be away from my family for so long… even when I’m doing all of it for them. But just looking at your eyes, I could tell… that you’re pretty lonely too”, he finished. 

Tenko’s body tensed up once more, but more out of reflex than defiance. She didn’t want to admit to herself that it was true. She had been very lonely for a very long time herself. 

“M-Master has many students… none of them like me though”, she explained, “I always had to yell to g-get any attention… I had to be ‘the weird one’ to be n-noticed… all the other girls hated me for it but if I didn’t act t-that way… nobody would ever even l-look at me”. Her eyes starting welling up again as if she hated every word she was saying. 

It was disturbing to see Tenko so… humbled.

“I w-wanted to be H-Himiko’s best friend more than anything! When I f-first saw her… she was so cute I didn’t know what to do! All the other g-girls made fun of me for not having any friends.... I w-wanted to prove them wrong s-so I just… just took her home with me”, she continued.

“I h-had to make myself believe I was her b-best friend… if I didn’t… then they would all be right, wouldn’t t-they? I would be the w-weird lonely l-loser they all said I was…”, she admitted, her tone shaky and tinged with regret.

“I’m n-not that stupid… I k-knew deep down t-that I w-was a pest to her… but I couldn’t stop! Neo-Aikido t-teaches us to never give up… I t-thought if I k-kept it at… Himiko would see the g-good parts about me! B-But… I g-guess there just are no good p-parts about me…”, Tenko said with a whimper as she started to cry once more.

“I think there are good parts about you”, Rantarou said, his words echoing in the darkness.

Tenko stopped crying and stared at him in surprise. 

“I think you’re caring and loyal when you want to be, I think you’re determined and proud… maybe even too much, heh. But if you force everyone around you to deal with all the worst parts… it’s no wonder they’ll never see the good. It might not be your fault exactly but… you’re going about all this in the worst ways possible”, he told her sternly. 

Tenko glanced at the ground, “A-Are you saying my Neo-Aikido is wrong again?”, she asked.

“I don’t think your Neo-Aikido is bad on its own… I just think you’ve focused on it so hard that you can’t see the rest of the world around you. I think you need to see more of the world… so you can understand how to act in it. Your world up until now has been so small… you have no perspective”, he explained calmly.

Tenko didn’t like that a menace was lecturing her but… she couldn’t deny these things he was saying.

“I’ve been all over the world… I could show you, if you want?”, he offered, extending a hand in the darkness towards her. Tenko stared at it intently, biting her lip. She had never willingly taken the hand of a menace before… 

“H-Himiko hates me… she w-won’t want my help anymore”, she mumbled.

“The Himiko you admire has a kind heart, right? I’m sure if you talk to her the way you’ve talked to me… she’ll start to understand”, Rantarou assured her. 

Reluctantly, Tenko took hold of the man’s hand. It was warm and firm… reliable. She shook her head at that thought however, dismissing it as obviously nonsense. Rantarou pulled her up off the ground to her feet. She immediately let go, turned sideways and faked an awkward cough. 

He smiled slightly all the same, it was progress. 

Suddenly his instincts kicked in as he heard a whoosh in the shadows. He drew his sword in an instant and with a lightning-quick slash, blood was spilled on the cavern floor. Tenko reeled back in surprise as two halves of what looked to be a giant centipede hit the ground with a plop and a splash of blood.

Rantarou’s eyes lit up at the revelation… “Oh shit… this is bad”, he stated, cursing under his breath. Without delay, he grabbed Tenko by the hand and lead her through the darkness. Her face became flustered and crimson as she tried to keep up with his sudden frantic pace.

“Whaaaaa!? W-What is going on!? W-Why are we r-running!?!”, she stammered out, her mind racing to figure out what was happening. 

“The others! They’re in danger! This isn’t just a cave! It’s a hive!”, Rantarou shouted desperately.

* * *

 

Two man-sized vicious-looking beetles stared down at the crushed carapace of one of their own… their strange eyes squinted with rage as they turned to face the trio of humans towards the back end of the cavern clearing. It turned out the boulder was being rolled along by one of these creatures… who was now dead.

“Woah! These are the biggest bugs Gonta has ever seen!”, Gonta exclaimed, clearly enamored. He got up and approached them with an optimistic and friendly demeanor. Himiko tried to grab his pant leg but couldn’t reach in time. 

“Nyaa! Gonta, no! Get back here!”, she cried, but it was no use.

“Hello bug-friends! I am Gonta!”, Gonta greeted them formally, extending a friendly handshake. 

The beetle didn’t even hesitate to leap forward and attempt to chew through Gonta’s shoulder. Gonta managed to grab hold of the creature and throw it back at the wall before it could sink its sharp teeth into his flesh. 

“G-Gonta don’t understand! No bug ever attack Gonta before!”, Gonta shouted in an existential crisis.

The other beetle screeched in a terrifyingly violent manner that echoed throughout the tunnels of the mountain. It was calling for reinforcements… dinner had so kindly waltzed right onto the plate. More delicious humans for the Queen to feast upon… 

**Chapter Thirteen**

**END**


	14. Memories Of Youth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Banged this out in a single session, hope ya'll enjoy it. Things are only heating up from here.)

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Memories Of Youth**

After navigating a series of trap-invested tunnels with copious amounts of innuendo-laden conversation, Kokichi and company arrived at a suspicious door. It seemed to be made of a dense metal none of them had ever seen before. A faint glow cemented it as magically enhanced in their minds. Miu gritted her teeth, none of her gadgets would be useful in getting past this. 

“Well this is a cockblocking if I’ve ever seen one”, she spat bitterly.

“I swear she comes up with these in advance!”, Kaito shot back.

Kokichi ignored them and inspected the door carefully, noticing a lone gemstone socketed in the center. A ring of words were expertly engraved around it that formed an ominous riddle. 

‘ _ Payment in blood, conquer one’s past, wicked souls be judged _ ’.

He grinned, reaching down to his belt loop and pulling out a pocket knife he always carried with him. This trial would be no obstacle for him, Kokichi was sure of this. Kaito noticed the knife and approached with concern. 

“Uh, Kokichi? Where’d you get that?”, he inquired, taking a step forward.

“I’m opening the door now. Do me a favor and don’t move my body, okay?”, was all he said..

“W-What? Wait a minute, how do you know--”, Kaito began, but stopped himself as Kokichi made a clean slice across his palm and jammed it onto the gemstone. Suddenly the door rumbled and a crimson light filled the tunnel. 

Miu leapt back in fear and started running back the way they came. Kaito tried to grab her but pivoted around to catch Kokichi as his body fell to the ground. His eyes were glowing with violent red light as he lay motionless in his arms. 

“K-Kokichi? W-What the hell are you doing? Kokichi!!”, Kaito cried.

* * *

 

_ The sun beat down hard on the dusty street as a ragged child sat against the cool wall for comfort. This wall was in a shaded alleyway, providing some relief from the intense midsummer heat. The child was thankful for the space he had acquired, but his empty stomach still pierced his ears with an obnoxious growl.  _

_ Some time later, a large man in grey robes walked by, a glass bottle glued to his lips. He noticed the boy in the shade and furrowed his brow, wiping excess liquor from his mouth as he strolled over and violently kicked the boy out of the way.  _

_ “Get lost, stupid brat!”, he yelled as he plumped his rump on the cool sandy ground.  _

_ The child got up and shook the man’s arm, clearly upset that his spot in the shade had been taken. The large beggar raised an arms and punched the child’s face, knocking him into the adjacent wall. The child, bleeding from his head, ran up and started kicking the adult’s leg in retaliation.  _

_ The man grabbed the child by the collar as he stood up, shaking his intensely before throwing him on the ground. “Scram, you little shit!”, he shouted as he chucked the liquor bottle at the child. It smashed into a hundred pieces against the boy’s leg as he scurried away into the sweltering heat of the summer sun. It hurt to run with a cut-up leg, but he scrambled to get as far from the beggar as possible. _

_ ‘Right… this is how it used to be…’, Kokichi reminisced to himself as his child counterpart stumbled across the bustling streets.  _

_ Later that night, the boy found himself holed up in an abandoned barnyard. He was pouring a small amount of stolen rum on his leg… it was nowhere near enough to clean it. He wasn’t even sure if you could clean wounds with drinking alcohol. He rubbed it all over as best he could and wrapped patches of cloth around it as tightly as possible. _

_ The boy sighed and laid back in a pile of hay, staring up at the moon.  _

_ Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a flat thud in front of him. He leaned forward just in time to see a large man’s robed body hit the grass in front of him. There was a knife stuck in his back, blood spilling over the rotund corpse onto the ground. At first, the boy was terrified and crawled backward up the hay pile instinctively.  _

_ But then… they approached him.  _

_ They were a strange group who wore unusual clothes and bizarre masks. They came in all shapes and sizes, men and women, people of darker skin from distant lands, all types of people. One of them walked up the hay pile and reached out a hand to the scared boy.  _

_ He wasn’t sure why, but he took that hand.  _

_ ‘That was when my life started to change…’, Kokichi thought to himself as they handed his past self the bloody knife. _

_ They were a sort of theater troupe, a band of outcasts and renegades making a life for one another on the road. The group called themselves DICE, after the game that won their founder a caravan many years prior. It was a collective dedicated to living freely and taking care of their own. For the first time in his life, the boy had found something of a family.  _

_ He was fed and clothed properly, they gave him support in the face of uncaring adults. They trained him in the art of survival. Lockpicking, pickpocketing, and perhaps most importantly, the craft of the silver tongue. The boy quickly became the rising prodigy of the group in almost no time at all. _

_ One day, he had been given an assignment to steal a gold ring from an old man who lived by himself in the countryside. It seemed simple enough a job, but as he snuck around the derelict cottage, he overheard a series of senile ramblings from the old man as he laid in his armchair in front of the fireplace. The elderly man had a bitter tone as he talked to himself in the dark. _

_ “Old king… madman… damn light fucked my mind… they won’t get me here… demons they were…. on the battlefield… cursed bloodline!”, were the phrases uttered from the man’s crusty lips. Kokichi gathered this old-timer was some kind of retired soldier.  _

_ As interesting as that might be, it was ultimately useless information without context, so Kokichi ignored it and focused on his task. He rummaged through drawers searching for the ring, but only found withered papers with violent scribbling on them. How long had the old man been alone out here? _

_ He wrote over and over again about an old demon king who forced his subjects to obey with some kind of forbidden magic. That he led an army on a conquest to subjugate an entire kingdom to his will. Kokichi was starting to get creeped out by these mad ravings, so he started to exit the house.  _

_ Halfway to the door, he turned back and noticed the ring was loosely wrapped around the old man’s shriveled finger. It seemed he had rambled himself into a deep sleep, so Kokichi took a chance and crouched low, making his way towards the man carefully. _

_ He carefully pulled the ring from the finger… but just as it came off, the old man’s eyes opened and he seized the boy by the throat. There was a deranged expression on his face… as if he was still in a dream and was only partly seeing the world around him.  _

_ “A spy!? They’ve sent a spy to finish me!!”, he graveled. _

_ The boy kicked himself away from the old man, easily breaking free from his grasp. He ran out the door as the man fell over out of his chair to grab him once more. He struggled to stand until he eventually gave up and just shouted in a raspy tone.  _

_ “Go to hell, you madmen! You ain’t takin’ me now, ya hear!”, echoed into the night as the boy made his escape.  _

_ ‘It seemed crazy at the time… but if only I had known….’, Kokichi commented as he watched himself run across an open field.  _

_ Some time later, the troupe decided to attempt a robbery of the national treasury. This would be their biggest score yet, if they succeeded. Kokichi wanted to be a part of it, but the group told him to stay back as they deemed him too inexperienced still. He was frustrated but understood their reasoning as he watched them leave.  _

_ The Kingdom of Saishuu had been, according to them, embezzling unreasonable taxes from the outer edges of the country for the betterment of the upper class in the city. DICE set out to redistribute that wealth back to the people from whom it was stolen. It didn’t seem like the populace of the city was aware what was happening miles away in the countryside.  _

_ Kokichi was by himself at their caravan, parked well outside the city limits and out of view of the watch guards that patrolled the perimeter. He absent-mindedly chucked darts at a board, wondering when the others would return from the heist. They had been gone far longer than they said they would be. _

_ Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted something in the distance. He excitedly peered out the window of the carriage, expecting to see his comrades returning with bulging sacks of treasure… but what he saw instead was a line of knights holding blazing torches. Without thinking, Kokichi dove out the back door and scurried up a nearby hill, hiding in the bushes and watching the scene from above.  _

_ The knights laughed and congratulated one another as they lit the caravan ablaze…. Kokichi sat there with tears in his eyes as he witnessed his home being burnt to the ground. His mind raced wildly, wondering what fate had befallen his family.  _

_ Later that night, he snuck inside the city under cover of darkness.  _

_ What he found shattered his heart into a thousand pieces.  _

_ His companions… his friends… his family… hung from the gallows in the central square.  _

_ The present Kokichi watched over his younger self as he cried into the night, wrapped in a stolen blanket in the depths of the sewers beneath the city. He could only grit his teeth and look away in pain as the child wailed.  _

_ ‘I felt so pathetic… maybe I still am’, was all he could say.  _

_ He had seen enough, it was time to return. _

* * *

 

Kokichi blinked as he awoke in the real world, sitting up against the dungeon wall. Kaito, who sat across from him, perked up and crossed his arms disapprovingly. 

“Ah, you’re awake… geez, man. Don’t do reckless shit like that without warning, nearly gave me a heart attack”, he grumbled. Kokichi opened and closed his hand, noticing that Kaito had wrapped his cut while he was out. 

He smiled wickedly and chuckled to himself, “You do a great job pretending to care about me, Kaito”, he muttered under his breath. 

“Huh? Don’t say that, you jerk! Man, your jokes are shitty”, Kaito retorted, helping the jester to his feet. The pair turned to face the door, which was glowing a welcoming shade of blue now. Kokichi pressed his finger against the gemstone, which caused the door the slide down into the ground, allowing them passage. 

It opened into a massive circular chamber. The walls were lined with old suits of armor, weapons and piles of gold coins. It looked like the collection of someone rich and powerful… but it also had the vibe of a museum. A very unsettling museum, lit by luminescent gemstones that lined the walls. 

“W-What is this place?”, Kaito stammered as he gazed into the high ceiling, in awe that such a huge chamber was hidden underneath the palace. Kokichi ignored him and pressed onward towards to central podiums, highlighted by shafts of light from upon high. 

“K-Kokichi, don’t touch anything! Everything in this room is givin’ me the creeps!”, Kaito warned. 

Those words didn’t reach Kokichi however, who was already fixated on one object in particular that floated above its podium in ominous glory. A golden sphere small enough to fit snugly in one’s hand… it was inscribed with magical runes across its entire surface. Light peaked out from the symbols like the sun pierced the clouds on a summer’s day…

Kokichi reached out with no fear and grabbed hold on the relic. 

“Huh!? Kokichi! Put that back! You don’t know what that can do!”, Kaito bellowed.

The jester turned around and shook his head.

“No Kaito… I know... exactly what it can do”, he stated firmly.

Kokichi held out the relic in front of him, casting its light into Kaito’s eyes. 

Internally, Kaito screamed as his mind was forcibly rewritten. His entire life stripped away in an instant as unknown words and feelings were jammed in place of what he thought he knew. He knelt down as the power of the relic overwhelmed his very core. 

In but an instant however, it was over. He looked up at the jester with a beaming smile.

“K-King Kokichi!? What are you doing here? Where am I?”, he asked in a casual but questioning tone. Kokichi grinned and lowered the relic, the process complete. 

“Sir Kaito”, he began, “We have been overtaken by an enemy of the Kingdom… we need to act quickly to restore order”, he told him. Kaito shot to his feet, clutching his torso as he looked around aimlessly. 

“I… I appear to be wounded…”, he remarked.

“Yes… it was the invaders”, Kokichi lied, “But don’t worry, your armor should fix that up… why don’t you try it on?”. Kokichi pointed to a suit of armor that was hung against the far wall. It was unique in its design… dyed a deep purple and adorned with protruding spikes along the rims. 

“O-Of course, my liege!”, Kaito exclaimed as he ran over to the armor and began strapping it to his person. The Jester turned away and gazed at the relic in his hand… what a terrifying power. So this was the secret of the old king… this was how the Kingdom of Saishuu was founded… on a bloody history of lies. 

He looked around the chamber with a disgruntled expression. All of this once belonged to Queen Kirumi’s grandfather… a wicked warlord of the highest order… not that anyone in the kingdom ever knew that. His son did his best to cover up the horrible legacy of his family history… but there were those on the outside that remembered… 

The  _ Orb of Light _ … legends had almost forgotten its cursed name… a relic with the ability to rewrite memories according to the user’s whims. It was only coincidence that Kokichi had even heard tell of the ancient secret in his travels. That happenstance led him to where he stood now…

On the precipice of a revolution.

“Take up your weapon”, Kokichi ordered, pointing to the object hovering over the other central podium. An ebony halberd with a sinister aura… how many lives had been lost to it in the mad king’s rampage? It too had a forgotten and cursed name…

_ Void Reviler _ …

Kaito did as his king commanded and took hold of the ancient weapon. As he did, that sinister aura shot through Kaito’s very veins as it fills him with immense dark power. The whites of his eyes filled with darkness like ink spilling across the page as his irises gave off a haunting violet glow. 

“How do you feel?”, Kokichi asked.

Kaito had a cocky grin as he cracked his neck readily. 

“I am ready to reclaim our Kingdom, my lord…”, he declared proudly.

“Then take us to the throne, so we may secure it”, he ordered. 

Joining hands, they became as shadows and shot up through the ceiling, passing through the earth and countless floors above until they reappeared in the throne room of Queen Kirumi. This was the power of Void Reviler… becoming one with darkness itself. 

The only ones in the chamber were the Queen and her royal attendant, Tsumugi the Court Tailor.

They were understandably shaken by the sudden appearance of two people shooting up through the floor. Tsumugi dropped the tray of tea she was about to serve the Queen and cried out in horror. The Queen stood up and demanded information immediately.

“K-Kokichi? A-And Kaito? W-What is the meaning of this? W-Where have you been and…”, she began before noticing Kaito’s… malevolent appearance. She took a step back cautiously and grimaced as a million horrific thoughts raced through her mind.

Kokichi gave the most intense and evil smile he could muster and began to cackle wickedly. 

“Muahahahahahaha!! It’s time for old debts to be repaid in full, your highness! And it goes without saying…  _ with interest _ ”, he shouted, taking an aggressive step forward. 

“G-Guards!”, Kirumi called out reluctantly, still unsure what exactly was going on, but knowing in her gut that it was dangerous. 

In only a moment, a dozen fully trained knights burst through the doors of the throne room, weapons and shields at the ready to defend their Queen with their very lives. Kokichi pinched his temple and snickered as he snapped his fingers. 

Kaito spun Void Reviler above his head, projecting a ring of dark energy that knocked all of the knights off of their feet. As they slowly got to their feet, Kokichi held out the Orb of Light in front of him, in view of all the knights. As it began to shine, Kirumi turned away and instinctively shielded Tsumugi from what she immediately perceived as a threat. 

“Knights of the Royal Guard!”, Kokichi yelled, “Restrain these invaders and restore your rightful King to his throne!”. With this simple command, the knights began moving against their own queen with no hesitation. Kirumi’s eyes widened in shock, not believing what was happening before her very eyes… 

A moment ago she was being served tea… now she was being apprehended by her own royal guards. 

“It’s funny… how everything can be flipped upside-down in the blink of an eye…”, Kokichi mused to himself, “Life has a much crueler sense of humor than me… hehe”.

Tsumugi was too bewildered to even form coherent sentences as she was dragged away. But the Queen struggled and looked Kokichi dead in the eyes… not with anger or bitterness… only sadness. The sadness of not even knowing why she was being betrayed by someone she considered a friend… 

Kokichi didn’t look her in the eyes as he ordered his new vassals to lock her away.

He slumped into the throne and crossed his legs, relishing being in a place of authority for the first time in his life. Kaito knelt before his ruler and crossed his arm over his heart, bowing his head respectfully. 

“What should we do now, sire?”, he asked dutifully. 

“Gather the rest of the guard before me… they need to be reminded of who they serve”, he instructed. It was hard to believe he was once the same starving orphan who had needed to cower in fear of the uncaring adults around him. But that was how the die was cast...

And so began the reign of King Kokichi…

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**END**


	15. Painful Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Why another chapter so soon? Eh, it's an Amino issue, doesn't concern you. Just appreciate the quick bonus, lol.)

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Painful Decisions**

The cold night air permeated the stone-walled cell that the now former Queen Kirumi found herself in. Shackled to the wall with long cast-iron chains that were cuffed to her ankles, she sat up against the edge of the room, staring at the thick bars before her. Never in her life would she have imagined she would ever experience this viewpoint. But in the blink an of eye, things had changed.

By this point, everyone in the palace was under Kokichi’s influence. Nobody recognized Kirumi as their queen, aside from her aid Tsumugi, who was imprisoned alongside her. She wondered how long it would be until whatever power had caused this, would be spread to the citizenry at large. There were no pressing international exchanges in the near future, so Kokichi had plenty of time to cement himself.

But there was one phrase that echoed through her mind, a thought she could not shake no matter how hard she tried. 

“Old debts… old debts…”, she mumbled to herself.

“W-What did Kokichi mean by that?”, Tsumugi asked aloud from the other side of the cell.

The former queen shook her head. She did not know.

Her thoughts turned the rescue party she had sent forth… was their quest related at all to Kokichi’s uprising? Even if they had separate inceptions, she was absolutely certain the two plots would clash and cause untold havoc on the kingdom. She clenched her fists at the idea of being unable to prevent the tragedies she could feel in the pit of her stomach were just on the horizon.

‘ _ Himiko… _ ’, she thought, ‘ _ I hope your quest is going well… you and your companions might soon be the only ones left who remember the truth… I hope it isn’t too late by the time you return _ ’.

* * *

 

The quest was not going well.

The party was divided, the healer was knocked out, and Himiko and Gonta were now facing a squadron of man-sized man-eating insectoids on their own. If anyone miles away had any hope concerning their current situation, it was tragically ironic and misplaced.

“Nyaa…”, Himiko groaned as she cowered behind Gonta, “y-you guys wouldn’t happen to have h-heard of the Red Lives Matter m-movement, have you?”, she inquired in vain.

This was met with a series of violent screeches. 

They had not heard of the Red Lives Matter movement.

They were giant bugs that lived in a mountain cavern.

Social progress wasn’t really a thing they dabbled in.

A rapid-looking beetle with unspeakable drool-like liquid spilling from its oddly-shaped mouth suddenly leapt at the pair, but Himiko poked out from behind her bulky companion and declared, “Ytres!”, creating a golden barrier between them that the beetle smashed into. It caused a rebound effect, sending the beetle flying back into its equally disgusting compatriots. 

Recognizing this as an obstacle to devouring their presumably delicious flesh, a centipede creature began scaling the wall, curving upward onto the ceiling and attacking above at the same time another beetle came charging in from the front. Himiko cast a levitation spell and flung the centipede away towards the far wall as Gonta reluctantly swung his massive fist at the predator before him.

The brutal beetle took the punch well all things considered as it stumbled back and spat acid onto the cave floor. Suddenly, he called out for his brethren to assist him and Gonta found himself swarmed with a trifecta of beetle bruisers that he struggled to beat down. As he was becoming overwhelmed, Himiko used controlled bursts of explosive magic to whittle the foes away. 

She had to be careful not to cause a cave-in that could leave them trapped… or you know, dead.

It was then that she noticed that they had left Angie’s body unattended as a praying-mantis creature was leaping forward, posed to slice off her head. Himiko panicked and cast an attraction spell as fast as she could, which sent Angie’s body crashing into her at top speed, knocking her over as Gonta continued to fight back the bugs. 

“S-Sorry Angie!”, she apologized to an unconscious person for no reason as she pulled Angie’s body off of her. That was reckless and might’ve caused untold damage if she got unlucky. She should have just blasted the mantis away and retrieved her body more carefully. 

Speaking of that mantis creature, it had jumped to follow its prey and was slicing up Gonta’s arm. The brutish gardener only flinched as large cuts ripped apart his sleeve and more importantly, flesh. Gonta grabbed the mantis’ head with his other hand and attempted to fling it away… only to rip its head completely off by happy accident. 

“Waaaah!”, Gonta cried in horror as he chucked the disembodied head at a nearby enemy and wiped his hands on his shirt by instinct. The insects were advancing quickly, pushing them into a corner as Himiko took potshots at them from behind. But every bug that fell, another pair emerged from the back tunnels, increasing their numbers. 

“This not good! This very very not good!”, Gonta cried in despair as waves of insectoids crawled, slithered and awkwardly hopped toward them menacingly. Just as Gonta completed his last syllable however, a flash of light shot across their field of view and sliced an entire wave of bugs in half like they were the grossest representation of hot butter imaginable. 

Rantarou grinned wildly as he pivoted around and turned his runesword upon his enemies. His renowned blade was not to be trifled with, particularly if you’re an unnamed insect with no character depth. But of course, they didn’t know that so they started charging at him anyway. Stupid bugs.

Every swing of the sword caused a ripple of energy that tore through the bugs in the rear. Soon the cave was filling up rapidly with the vile carcasses of the fallen arthropods. Chasing after him, Tenko popped out of the far tunnel and reached out her hand. 

“H-Himiko! Over here!”, she called out.

In a situation this perilous, grudges weren’t even considered as Himiko hoisted Angie’s body onto Gonta’s back and they made for the far exit as Rantarou cut down the pursuing monsters. The group ran as fast as they legs could carry them through dimly lit tunnels, their hearts racing faster as the sounds of raving insects echoed all around them. 

“N-Nyaaa! Is t-this the way out!?”, Himiko asked as she struggled to keep up.

“Yeah, this is the way into Westros! But we have to seal the path or else we’ll be leading an entire army there!”, Rantarou explained as he leapt over a large rock in his way. As the path opened up into branching tunnels, it became nerve-wracking as they never knew when an enemy would emerge from the shadows. The group followed Rantarou as he lead them through twisting corridors until they reached a massive cavern full of old mining equipment and cart tracks… as well as…

An incalculable quantity of insect eggs that lined the floor, walls and ceiling. They pulsated with malice as they shimmered an aggressive shade of crimson. Himiko could hardly believe a place this dangerous existed in the seemingly peaceful world she one thought she knew. Rantarou pointed to an old mine cart sitting on the start of a track that spanned the distance between the ledge they stood upon and the exit on the far side of a massive trench. 

“Hurry! Everyone get in!”, he ordered.

“N-Nyaa!? We’re doing this!?”, Himiko stuttered in disbelief.

“We are  _ absolutely  _ doing this!”, he responded as the group charged for the cart.

As soon as they reached it, they leapt back as a mantis creature emerged from inside the cart… except for Tenko who panicked and delivered a spinning kick to the poor thing’s neck, severing its head from its body. She proceeded to hop on one foot while attempting to shake off the insect goo with a grossed-out expression. 

Gonta quickly chucked the corpse out of the ore-transport mechanism and carried Angie and Himiko inside. Rantarou practically tackled Tenko inside as a wave of bugs approached from the tunnel, much to her displeasure. 

“H-Hit the switch!”, Rantarou commanded. 

Gonta pulled the lever so hard it nearly broke and they started falling backwards onto the long track that was supported by many wooden beams. Most of the bugs stopped at the edge of the cliff, but some were particularly tenacious and kept charging. They started knocking eachother off the edge of the cliff as they all craved a bite of juicy human meat. 

Some of the more agile arthropods started climbing onto the tracks and making their way across to chase their prey. This caused the support beams to buckle under the excess weight, making everyone in the cart sweat profusely at the thought of dropping to the bottom of the trench. 

Then, without warning, the entire cavern started rumbling like an earthquake. Stalactites shot down from the ceiling, butchering baby bugs below brutally, blasting blood everywhere, besmirching the bottom of the bulwark with bodily bile.

A colossal appendage gradually rose from the field of spawn below, which rocked our adventurers to their very mortal coil. This wasn’t just a birthing chamber… it was the resting place of the Insectoid Queen. A monsterous titan of carnivorism and matriarchy that shattered the minds of most humans that have been unlucky enough to find themselves in its nest. 

Its tail swung up and broke off the chunk of rail track just as the cart approached it, causing it to go flying off the bridge and start falling towards the far cliff. Rantarou fell out of the cart first and was flung backwards onto the higher track with a sharp thud. Next was Tenko who managed to catch herself on the support beam of the same level. The rest of them clung to the sides of the cart for dear life as they tumbled below. 

Trying to focus best she could, Himiko reached for her wand and cast a levitation spell on the cart to slow their descend. They ended up making a mild crash into the ground, flipping them all over against the cave wall. Gonta tucked Angie’s unconscious body into his arms to shield her from damage. Himiko rolled to her feet and gazed up at the scene above. 

“R-Rantarou! T-Tenko!”, she pleaded. 

Tenko was hanging off of the guard of the track, having pulled herself up from the support beam crosshatch. Frantically, she looked back and forth between Rantarou and the group below. They were right by the exit, mere moments away from escape… but Rantarou was trapped on an upper level with no way down and countless bugs swarming his position. 

Her face contorted into anguish over this painful choice… leaving him to die was just…

She shook her head wildly and shouted at the group below, “R-Run Himiko! G-Get out of here and blow up the exit behind you!”. Every fiber of her being hated each word that came out of her mouth. She didn’t want to leave Himiko, she didn’t want to remain in this filthy cave with ravenous monsters… but…

Himiko stomped her foot down and yelled back, tearing strolling down her face. 

“N-No! I’m n-not leaving you g-guys!”.

“Argggh...”, Rantarou groaned as he rolled onto his feet, wiping blood from his forehead, “You guys just get the hell out of here! Go to the Shalesol Saloon! We’ll meet you there! I promise!”, he declared as he drew his sword with wobbly footing. 

“G-Gonta doesn’t want to leave friends!”, the giant argued, clenching his fists in frustration.

“GONTA HAS NO CHOICE! GONTA MUST GO NOW!”, Rantarou bellowed at the top of his lungs, echoing throughout the area. He smiled with wild glee as he took a step forward and stabbed a beetle in its stupid fucking beetle guts. This was the thrill he lived for… this was his element. The time where he could shine brightest. 

Tenko forced an awkward smile herself and proclaimed, “We’ll be back soon, okay!? I always find you, d-don’t I!?”, as she crouched down and made a jump for the upper platform. She took a fighting stance in front of Rantarou and starting kicking bugs off the bridge left and right. She couldn’t imagine a better test of her abilities than this. And as scared as she felt, it was overpowered by sheer adrenaline as she let out a battle cry.

“KIIIIIIIIIII-YAAAAAAAAH!”, she hollered, elbowing a beetle in its creepy face.

Himiko shut her eyes and gritted her teeth as she turned away, tugging on Gonta’s clothes. She didn’t want to think about the situation any more… knowing this could be the last time she ever saw them. There were so many things she wanted to say… but there was no time. Gonta wiped away his tears and carried Angie out through the tunnel. 

Himiko stood at the exit for a moment, building her resolve as she raised her staff at the ceiling and uttered a far more powerful explosive spell.

“ERUN’VEXTIL!”, she barked with a voice full of conflicted feelings and bitter determination.

And so the rocks fell, hundreds… no, thousands of them came crashing down, filling the mouth of the tunnel and blocking the exit. As soon as the dust cleared, Himiko fell to her knees and started sobbing… knowing that she might have just sentenced them to their demise. Gonta picked her up as well and carried the girls through the remaining tunnel, holding back a lump in his throat as he followed a source of light in the distance. 

The trio eventually emerged from the mountain passage and felt the outside air hit their faces with cold indifference for the events that had transpired within. The land before them was drowned in the harsh oranges of the morning sunrise, casting long ominous shadows from withered trees and scattered patches of dry grass in desperate need of rain. 

This was it. 

Westros. A war-torn and suffering nation with no centralized government, where the refugees of a long-past war fought one another to survive. Only small pockets of organization existed here… it was the perfect place for the Shroud of Malvira to base themselves. And a very unwelcome place for denizens of the Kingdom of Saishuu to enter. 

But this was where Shuichi had been taken… so this was where they must go.

Himiko’s eyes were as desolate and hopeless as the land she was seeing as she muttered, “It’s… so empty”. Speaking of empty, at that moment her stomach rumbled in agony, desiring sustenance. She turned to Gonta, who instinctively felt for his towering backpa-- oh… oh no…

“Gonta… lose supplies in mountain…”, he admitted with a grimace.

No food or water… their guide was gone… Angie still needed medical care… and they had no idea where this ‘Shalesol Saloon’ even was… Himiko held her shoulders and shivered… it was colder here than she had imagined… not that she had ever imagined it at all… this entire journey was an act of desperation…

She just couldn’t get over the feeling that Rantarou and Tenko might be dead because she was so desperate to find her familiar… there was so much more to it than that but… 

Could they still do this without them? Was it even possible?

Looking behind, she realized she had already made the decision to press forward, no matter how hard it would be… there was no turning back now. The young mage solidified her resolve and motioned Gonta to follow her… into an unfamiliar land full of danger… to save Kaede’s soul… to save Shuichi… to save their kingdom… 

It took everything she had not to quit right then and there. 

A single thought drove her legs to keep walking onward…

That she wanted more than anything… to be a master that Shuichi could be proud of...

* * *

 

The bar was scarcely populated so early in the morning as the sunrise peaked through the windows of the Shalesol Saloon. The bartender cleaned his glasses the same way he always did, the maid wiped down tables in a routine pattern. The local drunk was passed out on top of the grand piano like he usually was. Everything was calm… everything was sensible… everything had an…  _ order _ to it....

But there was one thing out of place in this establishment… 

A red-cloaked figure sat by themselves at the edge of the room, at a table by their lonesome. The figure was slender but firm, seemingly relaxed but with no discernible vulnerabilities. There was a tortured aura coming off of this person… that subconsciously kept passer-bys away. Their mere presence communicated a complicated history of pain… both felt and inflicted.

“Tell me again!”, the bartender called out, “What’s a young girl like you doing in a place like this?”.

“Waiting”, was her simple answer.

“For whom, do you reckon?”

“Someone important”, she replied bluntly.

“You been waitin’ there awhile, miss”

“You have no idea…”, she stated with a bitter tone.

“Any idea when they’ll be comin’ around?”

“Soon”, she said, not wanting to give any more details than necessary.

These people had been through their fair share of hardships, living in a place as desolate as this… she knew that. But still she felt no kinship with them… nothing could compare to what she had gone through since that day so many years ago. When everything she held dear was lost in those flames…

But her suffering would soon come to an end… she had broken free of their control. 

She had decided, painful though it was, that she would not be bound any longer.

They had denied her the vengeance she sought time and time again. But no more.

There would be trouble later… betraying The Order was not something that went unpunished.

But she didn’t care… she needed this. She needed closure, if nothing else.

She took a sip of cold water and leaned back, her scarlet eyes focused intently on the entrance to the saloon. Her name was Maki... and she had been taken from a simple life long ago and forced to become an assassin to a sinister organization. It had been a long time coming… but she had finally reached a decision, no matter what her masters said.

When the young mage came through those doors… she vowed to take her life in an instant.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**END**


	16. Burning Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're entering the second half of the story, so everyone get hyped and leave your feedback below!

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Burning Desire**

“T-There! I see it, Gonta!”, Himiko shouted eagerly as she dragged her tired feet along the dusty road. The unnecessarily muscular gardener trailed behind her, carrying the unconscious priestess on his back. They had been walking through the desecrated wasteland of Westros for hours on end. The young mage wiped sweat from her forehead as she laid eyes on the ramshack town in the distance.

Her petite frame had never exerted itself so much in all her years. She had pushed well beyond the point of rationality as her legs shambled forward, dull pain shooting through them with every step. Himiko was being driven by a single thought… that she would soon be reunited with her familiar and this whole ordeal could finally be over. 

“Himiko… You sure you no want Gonta to carry you? Gonta not mind”, Gonta offered, hiking up closer to her as she forced herself onward. He had asked several times and at each point, she had refused him. This was something she felt she had to do herself… she didn’t know why. But she felt it would be shameful not to for some reason.

Try as she might however, there was no overcoming the strain her body was going through as she tripped on a rock and fell to the dried out earth. Gonta rushed forward and knelt down in front of the fallen mage, biting his lip in concern. It took him a moment to process what he wanted to say.

“Maybe we take quick break? Town is not going anywhere”, he reasoned. 

Himiko groaned but managed to flip herself over onto her back and breathe heavily, staring up into the dim overcast of waning daylight. If she had any clue as to what amino acids were, she might’ve been fearing the repercussions of pushing herself so hard. But alas, she did not, so that was not the worry on her mind at that time. 

She wondered if Rantarou and Tenko were still fighting… she wondered how everyone at the palace was doing, if the Queen was still in danger… she wondered if Angie would wake up any time soon… and she wondered how Shuichi was holding up without her mana for so long…

Tears started welling up in her eyes as these thoughts consumed her… everything had gone so wrong over the past few days and she had nothing to show for her efforts… what were they even doing to do at a saloon anyway? Where was the Inverted Pyramid they were searching for? Why did her entire body have to ache so badly as she pushed herself onward?

“Uh… Gonta no good with words… Gonta never sure he say right things… But maybe Himiko should focuson good stuff now? Remember why she here, why she still fighting”, Gonta told her as he slid up against a rock, holding Angie in his arms. 

“Nyaa… what good stuff, Gonta? Everything is… such a pain…”, she mumbled, her eyes glazed over. 

“Everything pain right now! But… not always pain! When Gonta was young, Gonta broke his arm falling from tree… it hurt lots, but it better now. Gonta’s arm good before that… and Gonta’s arm good now. Pain not forever… so maybe Himiko should remember good times that were… not so painful”, was his awkwardly-worded advice.

For some reason, Himiko’s mind drifted away to one particular memory as her body lay still in recovery...

* * *

 

_ Orphanage, 10 years prior… _

_ Himiko sat in the corner of the large play area, her face buried in her knees. In her hand, she was clutching a small polished stick with random engravings. It was simple toy for little kids, and the only thing  she had been allowed to bring from her old home. _

_ She had been abandoned by her parents just a few days prior. They had moved into the city from the farmlands, expecting a better life but found themselves unable to find well-paying work to support themselves and their child. On top of pressure from local crime gangs, who demanded increasingly absurd payments for past loans… her parents decided there was no place for them in this world. _

_ And so they had chosen to take their own lives together… leaving the little girl all alone. _

_ She wasn’t capable of understanding why they had left her… she couldn’t comprehend the harsh reality they faced... was it her fault they were gone? Why wouldn’t the adults give her any straight answers? Everything they said was so confusing and scary… she just wanted to curl up in a ball and vanish from everyone’s sight… _

_ Why did they leave her? Didn’t they love her? Was she a bad daughter? Why weren’t they here for her now? Where did they go… would she never see them again… everything hurt too much to think about…  _

_ “Hey! What’s that?”, she heard a voice call out. _

_ She peaked over the tops of her knees to see a young boy had approached her, his eyes focused on her little toy. None of the other kids had bothered talking to her since she arrived, they didn’t want to be around someone so sad… it put a sour mood on their playtime, one would suppose. _

_ Himiko sniffed and wiped away her tears, “I-It’s a wand… I’m g-gonna be a m-mage one d-day”, she admitted, her voice cracking. _

_ The boy’s eyes lit up, “Woah, a real mage? I thought only really special people could become mages! Can you do magic? Could you show me?”, he asked, her tone full of curiosity and wonder. _

_ She turned her eyes away.  _

_ “N-No… I c-can’t do magic… b-but I’m s-still gonna b-be a mage… I m-mean it”, she said affirmatively, although desperately trying to convince herself it was true.  _

_ This was the part where everyone usually laughed at her. Told her she was being stupid, that it would never happen… all those hurtful things. Adults and children alike were so cruel as to stomp all over her dreams…  _

_ “Oh really… that’s too bad”, the boy said, lowering his voice. _

_ Here it comes, she thought. He was going to scold her. She knew it. _

_ “Hey! Maybe I could help you? There’s got to be some way to get magic, right?”, he said. _

_ Himiko lifted her head and looked the boy straight in the eyes out of surprise. _

_ “N-Nyaa?”, she muttered nervously. _

_ “Yeah! Even if you can’t do magic right now… maybe you will someday! You can’t just rule out possibilities without trying!”, he told her, stumbling over a big word like ‘possibilities’. He had a comforting glean in his eyes as he put a hand on her shoulder. _

_ Himiko glanced at the floor uncomfortably… she wasn’t used to this kind of support. _

_ “Y-You think I c-can be a mage?”, she mumbled under her breath. _

_ “Sure, why not?”, he reasoned, “You can be a mage if you want… just gotta figure out how”. _

_ “N-Nyaa!? You r-really think so?”, she asked, excitement filling her face. _

_ “Yeah! And maybe you can help me with my dream… don’t tell the others thing but… I w-wanna be a great detective someday”, he confided, whispering in her ear. _

_ She raised a brow, “Nyaa? A d-detective? You wanna s-solve mysteries and stuff?”. _

_ “Mhm”, he confirmed, “I like to learn things… how things work and stuff… I can already read pretty well they say… I guess you could just say I’m curious about everything… heh”. He shrugged his shoulders anxiously, as if embarrassed to admit it. It was probably that curiosity that led him to talk to the girl curled up against the wall in the first place. _

_ “Huh… that’s p-pretty cool”, Himiko told him.  _

_ “R-Really? I’m glad you think so too!”, he replied happily. _

_ “...W-What’s your name?”, she inquired. _

_ “Oh, I’m Shuichi… and you?”. _

_ “Uh… H-Himiko…”. _

_ “Alright then, Himiko… I’ll help you out… and you’ll help me… is that okay?”. _

_ “...Y-Yeah! T-That’s right! S-Shuichi!”. _

_ And so it was. _

* * *

 

The young mage’s face turned red as a warm smile grew on her tired face… she hadn’t thought back to that day in a long time… the day he had taken her pain away. Even if everything in the world felt sad and wrong… they could always figure it out if they had eachother. That was the foundation of their pact…

Himiko picked herself off the ground, dusted herself off and kept walking forward. Her body was numb with adrenaline, and all the pain receded in the force of her determination. Surprised, Gonta hurriedly slung Angie over his back and galloped over to follow the eager young mage. This was no time to break down crying… this was the time to press onward and reclaim what she had lost.

After some time, they finally arrived at the Shalesol Saloon, cautiously opening the swinging doors and gazing inside. There were only a few patrons, which seemed odd at this point in the evening. Mostly the grizzled and downtrodden, looking to drown their sorrows or simply forget how badly they had messed up past relationships. It wasn’t a very comfortable place.

The bartender eyed them suspiciously as they approached the counter. 

“Ya’ll look a lil’ young to be drinkin’...”, he warned, rubbing down an empty glass.

“N-No… I mean, yes. W-We’re here to rent a room, actually”, the young mage explained nervously.

The man glanced up and down at the newcomers… they did appear tired and coated in dirt, sure signs of weary travelers. He wondered what such young people were doing crossing over the wastelands… but it was not his business to judge anyone. 

He reached under the counter and pulled up a rusty key. 

“That’ll be twenty gael for the night”, he told them, opening his other hand forward.

Gonta extracted a small pouch from his overall pocket and carefully dropped the coins into the bartender’s hand. It was very fortunate that they did not lose this in all the chaos that ensued in the mountain. Satisfied, the man handed them the key with a sly upward glance.

“Room #4, upstairs and down the first hall”, he instructed.

The steps creaked loudly as they traversed through the dusty wooden shack. While structurally sound, the building had clearly fallen into a slump due to negligent upkeep. That sort of ambivalence was common in nations recently devastated by warfare. When knights from another land could burst in and slaughter your family on suspicion of black magic contraband… why bother sweeping the floor, one supposes.

As soon as the door was unlocked, Himiko collapsed onto the stiff bed with an audible thud and a loud sigh. She craved rest more than just about anything in the world, short of completing her quest. Within mere minutes, the young mage had fallen into a deep sleep. Gonta had a faint smile as he laid Angie to rest on the other bed, propping her head high on the pillow. 

“Gonta will be true gentleman and let friends have soft beds”, he told himself as he bundled spare sheets into a pillow-like wad and spread himself out on the central rug. 

He was finally allowed to be alone with his thoughts. 

Was it finally time? Was Gonta going to have some deep character development and introspection?

Was it… Gonta ti--

Oh, he fell asleep.

Whelp. Nevermind then.

* * *

 

“Aaah! You guys aren’t even touchin’ my goods! What kind of pervs are you anyway!?”, Miu shouted as she was dragged by her standard female grab areas through the palace halls. The knights were stoic and unnerved despite her endless whining, even though they would, in all honesty, rather pitch themselves off a cliff than continue listening to her. 

As they approached the throne, they aggressively tossed her onto the polished floor, where naturally her giant chest cushioned her landing. Looking up, she saw the new King casually slouching on the ornate throne like a mongoose full on snake meat. In other words, very pleased.

“W-What are you d-doing lookin’ so smug, you little crotch-rash? What’s the b-big idea abducting an innocent and b-beautiful genius in the middle of the night!?”, she demanded, crawling to her knees. Just as she did however, a powerful force slammed down on her neck, forcing her back down.

Kaito, a dark knight overflowing with cursed energy, was keeping her locked in the lowest grovelling position possible. He did so without a second of hesitation, out of loyalty to his King. Kokichi smirked as the barmaid struggled against the inevitable. 

“Innocent? Oho, what an interesting claim. I have it on pretty solid authority, myself that is, that you abandoned your King in a dangerous and foreboding dungeon not so long ago… the crime of desertion is quite serious, isn’t it lads?”, Kokichi said, gesturing to his entourage. 

The guards snapped to attention and crossed their hearts. 

“YES, KING KOKICHI!”, they chanted, echoing through the chamber.

“K-King!? Pfft, who died and made a shit-stain like you King? What happened to Queen Hag anyway?”, she yelled, her legs performing some crazy movements trying to break free of Kaito’s hold. 

“Oh, don’t you worry about her… not that you’re one to worry about anyone but yourself regardless. In any case, I didn’t summon you here to chit-chat. You’re here to serve out your punishment”, he explained in bored monotone.

“N-No! D-Don’t you dare t-toss me in s-some d-dungeon! Stone f-floors are terrible for my p-perfect skin!”, she complained. Kokichi could only chuckle in amusement as she degraded herself before him. 

“Oh no, you’re far too valuable to waste away in some filthy cell. You’re going to serve as entertainment for my new friends here. A good source of… morale”, Kokichi concluded, glancing towards a rather skimpy and provocative outfit chained to the wall. 

The guards hooted and hollered as Miu was dragged away to a side room, kicking and screaming… but also weirdly excited too. Kaito took her spot and knelt before his liege, Void Reviler at his side. 

“My lord, what is the next step of our reclamation?”, he asked briskly.

“Gather those old fools from the Magistrate. It’s time we began our more… intricate preparations”, was Kokichi’s solemn order. Kaito nodded and rose to his feet, marching off to carry out his master’s will. Kokichi gazed up at the waxing moon in the sky and smiled ambiguously.

* * *

 

The silence of night permeated the derelict tavern as the lone waking figure crawled along the outside wall, peering into the dust-coated window with crimson eyes that could pierce the soul with a single leer. Everyone was, as she expected, fast asleep. Completely unaware of her presence… not that it would’ve made a big difference if they were awake. Not with her skill…

Cautiously, Maki removed the entire window from the frame and set it aside the exterior railing. It was slower, but quieter than daring to open it normally. Her padded boots made contact with the sill as she leapt into the room. Those dangerous eyes immediately locked onto the target…  _ her _ target, not the Order’s. That was a crystal clear distinction in her mind. 

The young mage laid face-up on the bed, only slightly covered by the shoddy blanket provided. Without a sound, Maki flung herself over the edge and hovered over the girl, staring down at her as if she was a pest to be gassed. Drawing a small blade and hoisting it high, her mind raced with all sorts of thoughts… this was highly unusual.

Most marks were handled far quicker and with more subtlety.... But that was their way, not her’s… no, this was personal. She wanted to see the life leave her eyes when she struck her… and with only a moment taken for emotional catharsis… something she had never allowed herself before… the knife came down. 

And then stopped abruptly.

Maki’s eyes widened as she felt the impact through her hands… what she made contact with was not flesh, which she was very accustomed to the feeling of… no… this was harder, more dense… it was… wood. She had managed to strike some sort of talisman that had been concealed by the mage’s cloak!

It was the very same talisman that Angie had given her! Was this Atua’s protection? Or could it be the power of friendship?

Himiko’s eyes suddenly opened in shock, staring up the figure above her. They locked eyes… and neither had time to process any kind of thought or emotion… everything that happened was purely instinctual. Ordinarily, Maki’s superior reflexes would’ve allowed her to slice the girl’s throat before she could even move.

But the split-second delay caused by her shaking the knife loose from the talisman gave the young mage a chance to react by sheer survival instinct and grab hold of her wand. Flinging it forward, she called out in a voice filled with adrenaline, “Des’yel!”. A concussive blast pushed the assailant against the ceiling with a hard thwomp. 

Himiko wanted to ask the figure all sorts of questions as her brain tried to process everything that had happened since it was suddenly snapped awake by force. But the girl recovered fast and charged at her with an almost inhumanly fast strike. Once more, Himiko blew her back against the wall with a swift spell. Groaning, the attacker shook her head and grimaced, furious with herself for allowing this to happen.

As a last resort, she had prepared a backup method, of course. Though she had hoped it wouldn’t become necessary, as causing collateral damage was not ideal for an assassin. Maki pulled out a small bottle from her cloak and threw it down, liquid splashing across the floor as she dove out the window and off onto the ground with a tuck and roll. 

Immediately, sparks ignited and set the floor ablaze.

The sight of a roaring fire caused Himiko to panic as she shook Gonta awake in a hurry. 

“N-Nyaa! G-Gonta! W-Wake up!”, she cried desperately. 

The gardener lunged forward, “Aaagh! No! Bad bugs! No kill!”, he screamed out of context before his eyes adjusted to the chaos before him. No words were necessary as he grabbed the girls and held them tight between his arms, tackling the locked door down. His high-stakes dream had evidently put him in the perfect mindset for this kind of action. In fact, it’s possible Gonta hadn’t even fully realized he had woken up yet. And that this scenario was just another crazy dream within a dream…

The walls began crumbling from the intense heat as the stairs collapsed under Gonta’s weight. He held the girls up to protect them from hitting the ground. His clothing caught fire as he marched forward, barely thinking, only moving… towards safety. 

Himiko coughed violently as smoke filled her lungs, pounding on Gonta’s back out of panic and fear. Gonta didn’t even notice as he plowed through hot ashes and falling chunks of wood to carry his friends to safety. Dream or not, Gonta would save his friends. He was just that kind of guy. A true gentleman in any plane of consciousness. 

As the flames spread wildly and the debris accelerated in its descent, Gonta realized he had no time to make it outside… so held his breath, gathered all his strength and positioned his body to throw the girls forward. Himiko was frantically scratching at his arm to get him to stop.

“N-NO!! G-GONTA DON’T!!”, she shouted as Gonta ignored her warning explicitly. 

The young mage and her priestess friend went hurtling through the smoke and embers, cross several meters until they crashed through the entrance to the saloon and rolled onto the cold desert ground outside. Himiko rushed to check that Angie was not badly harmed as she gazed back inside the building… just in time to see it fall to pieces in a massive gust of fire.

In an instant… Gonta vanished into the smoke and flames of another pointless tragedy.

There were no words the young mage could manage to utter… she simply stared at the roaring blaze, tears falling from her eyes, lips trembling, shoulders quaking… every fiber of her being rejecting the idea that Gonta had… 

But behind her, she heard soft footsteps.

“This should be familiar to you…”, Maki stated with bitter conviction.

Himiko wiped the tears from her eyes and laid Angie down on the ground, turning to face her adversary. The wand extended into its full stave form as her eyes gained an intensity they never had before. She was ready to fight… 

There was only one word Himiko could say.

“...Why?”.

That single word triggered something in Maki.

She pulled out a pair of knives and glared forth with violent veracity. 

That was the word she had waited so many years to say herself.

As if the stars themselves aligned at just the right moment in some grand cosmic coincidence, both girls shouted the same thing into the darkness of the night.

“WHY DID YOU START THAT FIRE!?!”.

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN** **  
** **END**


	17. Reunions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Hey guys, I'm currently judging a writing contest on the Danganronpa Amino. It's called the #1000words challenge and everyone is invited to check it out. The deadline is November 1st. Otherwise, just kick back and enjoy the chapter.)

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Reunions**

“....What?”, Himiko gasped as she stared at the solemn figure before her.

Maki was silent, her eyes judging the mage’s every subtle motion… an vengeful aura surrounding her. Just looking at it made Himiko’s head start to ache as her knees began to buckle… something was wrong… very wrong.

“What are you t-talking about!? Y-You started that f-fire just now!”, she shouted with conviction.

Maki said nothing, letting the young mage stew in her own troubled thoughts. 

There was, of course, another fire that she was very familiar with… 

“...N-No! T-That’s stupid! How d-do you even know about t-that!?”, she demanded.

“...Are you finally admitting it? I won’t spare you, even if you beg”, Maki countered, taking a menacing step forward through the darkened sand. 

Looking more closely at the assailant, Himiko clutched her head in pain. Something was throbbing inside her mind, attempting to burst out… but what was it… something lost… forced down into the deepest recesses. This girl… she knew this girl… from somewhere…

‘ _ No running in the halls, you two! _ ’, a voice rang out, piercing her brain.

‘ _ Oh, sorry about that! _ ’, a boy’s voice called.

‘ _ Geez… she’s always so bossy… _ ’, another voice complained… that voice was her own.

Himiko could picture the scene so easily in her head… but it was strangely foreign to her… was this truly her own memory? The girl’s name was… Maki. That was it… she was there at the orphanage all those years ago… some sort of assistant caretaker, even though she was just another kid like they were.

“W-Wait! I know you! You’re M-Maki, right?”, she stammered out.

Maki was slightly taken aback, but proceeded forward regardless. Her conviction could not be deterred, not now, not after so many miserable years serving under them… 

In one lightning-fast movement, she sent several knives hurtling towards the other girl. Reacting instinctively, Himiko raised her staff and chanted under her breath, “Yseri doga!”. The ground beneath her rose up, forming a wall of solid rock. 

Against all expectations, however, the knives pivoted direction mid-air and circled around the wall. Because her view was obscured, Himiko had just barely enough time to cast another spell, one that emitted a strong force against the wall, sending her flying backward. 

The flying knives gave chase as the young mage danced around the area, avoiding them as best she could. The blades seemed to be enchanted to follow very simple directives, as they would often get stuck in the ground and need to dislodge themselves after. Maki leapt over the stone wall just as it fell over, diving in at Himiko with a precision blade strike of her own. 

Himiko nearly tripped blocking the blow with her staff, twirling the longer weapon in order to disarm her assailant of her’s. Sensing danger, the young mage immediately dropped to the ground as the flying blades shot back towards Maki. Her eyes widened in shock as she attempt to dodge, but was too late. The knives caught onto her cloak and dragged her backward, as they got stuck on the hilts and couldn’t escape. 

They pulled Maki all the way back to the wooden wall of an adjacent building, where she was pinned against it as the knives struggled in vain to break through. She tried to yank the blades out and free herself, but the enchantment was still active. It must have been designed to continue until the weapons drew blood from their target. She was trapped!

Seeing that the danger was restrained, atleast for the moment, Himiko pulled herself off the ground and tried to check on Angie’s body… only to discover that she had vanished. Panicking, she turned every which way but west, and as she was distracted, she failed to noticed Maki had slipped out of her cloak and was running directly towards her with her last knife. 

By the time it Himiko realized what was happening, it was too late… she had gotten too close… there was no time to utter any spells, or even raise her staff in retaliation… everything was for nothing… she would never accomplish her mission... the Kingdom of Saishuu… would fall into darkness.

Pfft, as if. Here’s what really happened.

A hand shot out of the ground, grabbing Maki’s ankle tight and forcing her to trip over herself and fall flat to the earth below, the knife spiraling out of her grasp. Not missing her opportunity, Himiko twirled her staff dramatically as she shouted, “Fuol’ria!”, aiming at the assailant. 

Slowly, Maki sank deeper into the ground as her body rotated upwards, trapping her behind the earth’s surface with only her head sticking out. She struggled, but couldn’t break free of Gaia’s hold, so to speak. Conversely, another figure rose out from the dirt with an awkward cough and a great splattering of debris. It was Angie, whose formerly white getup was ostensibly brown. 

“Oho… Heh… That was a close one, Himiko!”, Angie exclaimed with an out-of-place, but very in-character amount of chipper. The young mage was as startled as she was relieved as she leapt forward and started crying into her shoulder.

“A-Angie! T-They’re gone… they’re all g-gone…”, she admitted, her tone close to breaking. 

The priestess was surprised by this sudden display of fragility, but she reacted in accordance without hesitation. Angie wrapped her arms loosely around her friend and patted her back gently, “I don’t quite know what’s going on… but Atua and I are looking out for you now, Himiko… and we are close to finding Shuichi as well, no?”, she said calmly.

There was no time for Angie to explain what had happened. The vessel of Atua had come to upon being thrust out of the tavern, unsure of what was happening as she had been out cold for an unknown period of time. But it didn’t take long for her to realize the danger that was present when the assailant approached her friend. After the earthen wall fell, Angie took her chance and dove into the space created under the ground. And simply waited for the right moment to assist… as soon as she had felt the pressure of footsteps on her back. 

Himiko tried to settle her erratic breathing as Angie held her shaking hands. There would be time to explain… and time to process later. The pair turned back to face the girl buried in the sand, who had her face jerked away in disgust. The young mage sighed, the pressure of this situation catching up to her.

“Nyaa… what are we gonna do about this…”, she moaned.

“This person is an enemy, yes? Then all we need is to garner the location of the Inverted Pyramid from her! ...We’re still on that quest, right?”, Angie suggested, with a confused blink at the end, unsure if she had been out for a day or a year.

“Y-Yeah… how are we gonna do that? I don’t think she’s just going to talk…”, Himiko pointed out, gazing down sadly at the assassin. Knowing where she came from… that she was a victim of that incident the same as her… maybe even worse… her good-natured heart wanted to reconnect and help her… reach some kind of understanding…

But at the same time… she was deeply conflicted.

Gonta… was gone. 

“Angie… G-Gonta is dead… he saved us from the fire…”, Himiko informed her solemnly, looking back at the charred rubble of the former saloon. 

Angie folded her hands together, her face grimacing slightly. 

“Indeed… his warmth has left us… may Atua allow his soul to find peace”, she said with a subtle hymn. Himiko pushed the pain of this loss deep inside her… it wasn’t the time. They were here, in Westros… so close to completing their arduous goal. 

But just as those feelings threatened to overwhelm her, she noticed a tiny glimmer in the wreckage. She rushed up towards it and pulled away the debris to reveal a small shimmering flower standing still and alone in the ground. Himiko could feel a sort of magic emanating from this plant… one she couldn’t recognize. 

Something wasn’t right about it… there was no way such a delicate flower could survive the inferno without so much as a scratch. This was an unusual flower… and many questions arose in the young mage’s mind. Before she could think too much on it, Angie called her back over. 

“What’s wrong, Himiko?”, she asked.

“N-Nyaa… n-nothing”, was the distracted reply.

These complicated feelings… could be dealt with another time.

“Anyway, as for our plan… Atua always has the answer!”, Angie exclaimed, channeling some sort of holy spirit through her body. She dragged her fingers through the air, painting an intricate image with lingering energy. As Maki stared forward, her face contorting with bafflement, her eyes widened and glazed over, entering a bizarre trance. 

Himiko shuddered at the sheer power of Angie’s spirit artwork… it had terrifying effects. Although it took so long to perform that it was really only useful on captive targets.

When the process was complete, her arms returned to her sides with a gleeful sigh. 

“You can release her now, Himiko. You’ll find she’ll be very compliant”, the priestess announced with an insidious grin. 

“Uh… okay”, Himiko reluctantly relented. 

She whipped her wand about, causing Maki to slowly raise out of the ground, dirt falling off her figure in waves that crashed down below. This prompted Angie to reflect upon her own dirt-coated appearance and cast a cleansing spell, a specialty of her profession. Within an instant, all of their clothing was cleaned of sand and soot alike. 

“Y-You know where the Inverted Pyramid is…?”, Himiko inquired nervously, half-expecting Maki to stab her at any moment. 

In lieu of stabbing however, she simply mumbled, “...Yes”.

Taking a heavy sigh, relieved at the absence of a knife in her gut, Himiko commanded, “P-Please lead us there… if you can”. The assailant nodded absent-mindedly and shuffled along at an uneven pace. Even though she had just attempted to kill her not five minutes prior, Himiko had to admit she found this sudden inhuman obedience disturbing. 

More memories of Maki had slowly filled her mind as they walked along… they weren’t friends, per se… but they shared a common history. She knew she wasn’t a bad person… not before anyway. Himiko didn’t know why she was insisting that the fire was her fault… but she still felt guilty about what Maki had evidently become. 

There was a part of her that wanted to talk things out… to reach some kind of understanding.

At the same time… Gonta was… 

She shook her head… she needed to stop thinking about that. 

Himiko forced herself to focus solely on her objective as Maki lead them through the shifting sands of the night.

* * *

 

_ Years Ago…  _

_ Maki sat alone in an lonely alleyway, the rancid smell of rotting garbage invading her runny nose. Her tears indistinguishable from the intense rainfall of the saddest night of her life. She ran as far from the blazing inferno as her little legs could carry her. In one fell swoop, everything she cared about had been taken away… again.  _

_ It felt even worse than when her family was slaughtered by wandering cultists.  _

_ Because this time… hope had been allowed to build up inside her.  _

_ At first she didn’t fit in at the orphanage, but over time, responsibilities were placed on her… the other children began to rely on her. She didn’t know why but… it affected her. They were her reason to carry on, despite how hard it was some days. But now, they were gone… as was her hope. _

_ Without realizing it, a figure now stood before her.  _

_ It was a tall male figure in a drenched cloak… his smile burned through the depressed atmosphere… it didn’t fit… something was not right about this man’s disposition given the aura of his environment. A scared child like Maki was even more sensitive to discrepancies like that, strangely. _

_ “Well well… it seems you’ve experienced a great tragedy”, he spoke, his tone raspy but high. _

_ Maki sniffed, “G-Go away! I don’t trust sketchy adults!”. _

_ “Aw, that’s not very nice. Didn’t they teach you any manners at that orphanage?”, he replied. _

_ The girl was enraged by his flippant attitude, pulling herself to her feet and kicking him in the shin. _

_ The man barely flinched, but seemed oddly impressed. _

_ He leaned down with that same creepy smile.  _

_ “Such willpower… it’s even greater than I imagined… even after what just happened, your heart is full of hope, isn’t it?”, the man said, rambling to himself more than anything. _

_ “I d-don’t know what you’re talking about!”, she snapped back, defiantly. _

_ “That’s okay, I don’t expect you to understand yet… but this tragedy you’ve just experienced…  it’s simply a grand stepping stone to an even more powerful hope”, the man ranted, raising his arms in a dramatic gesture. _

_ Just then, lightning struck in the distance. In that brief flash of light, Maki saw the man’s face clearly through the darkness. His ruffled white hair that spread in every direction, the crazed expression in his eyes… and that cursed smile.  _

_ “I can’t just abandon such a potent seed of hope! Come along with me, little girl… we can mold you into a powerful vessel of hope itself!”, he raved, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her along into the shadows.  _

_ That was the beginning… of Maki’s indoctrination. _

* * *

 

Not more than an hour later, the assailant had lead them to an open space surrounding by high rocks. In the center of this dusty clearing was a solitary torch, alone on a pole. The flame was barely affected by the whisping winds around it and burned an unnatural shade of crimson… this was some kind of enchantment for sure. 

“Stop!”, Himiko ordered as Maki was about to mindlessly wander into the clearing. 

She stopped in her tracks, awaiting further orders.

“Hm? What’s wrong Himiko?”, Angie asked, peering over her shoulder. 

“...It’s probably warded… we need to be careful”, she answered, raising her wand. 

Doing a small twirl, she whispered, “Nae’dzuku”. A shimmering reflective aura surrounded each of their bodies, Angie gazing down at herself in amazement. 

“Oho! This is an impressive invisibility spell, Himiko!”, she complimented. 

“Sssh, I’m s-still not good at this kind of magic… it’ll muffle sound a little but we need to be quiet… and move fast… I’m not sure how long it’ll last…”, Himiko admitted sheepishly. Just as they were about to move inside, they reeled back as the ground shook in front of them. 

They ducked for cover behind the rocks as a wooden panel rose out of the sand, revealing a stairway leading down into the darkness. From that abyss, a few figures emerged and walked forward into the clearing, carrying large sacks on their backs. They were followed by a stout man smoking a tiny cigar, blowing a puff of smoke at their backs. 

“Oi, ya really oughtta quit that, boss”, one of the burly gruffians commented. 

“Hmph, that’s my business”, the stout man replied. 

“We’z gon drop dis loot off now, yea?”, another gruffian asked. 

“Yeah, and then we’re all gonna meet up at the river port. We’re gonna want to be in position when everything goes down”, he replied authoritatively. 

“Hehe! Can’t wait ta pillag’ like da good’ol days, boss!” the gruffian responded gleefully. 

“When the city bursts into chaos, we’ll be there to pick up the scraps… it’s not a bad deal”, the stout leader concluded, walking off to the edge of the area as his goons wandered off to who-knows-where. Himiko started to panic once she saw the wooden panel beginning to slip down.

She shoved Angie forward with a harsh whisper, “N-Nyaa! Let’s go!”. 

The two of them nearly had to push their brainwashed servant through the clearing, trying their best to stay quiet while keeping pace. They scrambled to make it to the stairs before the entrance closed, hoping that the smoking man wouldn’t hear their footsteps munching on the sand below. 

Thankfully, they managed to sneak inside just as the cover fell to the ground with a hard crash. 

The group tiptoed cautiously through the cold stone halls, lit by blazing torches hung along the walls. They couldn’t be seen, but could still be felt and heard… or smelled, as the case may be. It proved difficult to control Maki’s shambling movements, which caused great anxiety in the girls’ minds as they stumbled about in the dark. 

Himiko was surprised by just how vacant the chambers were… she had expected a great many cultists from the Shroud of Malvira to be crawling around… but there was nobody in sight. That was extremely fortunate as far as their quest was concerned… and that was exactly why it only served to make her more scared. 

Just what were they all up to? Were they already too late?

Eventually, they found a door that wouldn’t open. 

Carefully, Himiko pointed her wand at the lock and whispered, “Haolu”. 

A barely audible clicking sound. 

A nervous turn of the knob.

A cautious pull of the door.

Just then, the invisibility spell faded.

And in an instant, they locked eyes. 

It was a moment frozen in time.

Tears rolled down her face as she couldn’t help but smile.

His chest grew heavy as he took in that smile he couldn’t help but love.

Just then, Angie noticed someone approaching from the end of the hall and forcefully shoved the young mage into the chamber, carefully shutting the door behind her. Himiko nearly tripped over herself as she approached the boy sitting up against the far wall. 

Shuichi didn’t hesitate.

He leapt to his feet and rushed forward, wrapping his arms around her.

Her aura flowing into him… a feeling of elation he had missed dearly.

In return, Himiko hugged him back.

She buried her crying face in his chest. 

She was happy… she was sad… she was tired… she was scared… she was feeling so many conflicting emotions that she felt like she could simply explode at any moment. In that silent moment, she allowed him to shoulder all of her anguish. He held her close, taking in all those feelings, despite not knowing what they were. It didn’t matter. She was his master, and her troubles were his duty. 

Through those heavy feelings, she mumbled under her breath.

“ _ D-Don’t… ever leave me… _ ”.

Shuichi rested his chin atop her head, patting her back supportively.

“ _ I’m sorry… I’ll never leave your side again _ ”.

The rest of the world could wait. Whatever dangers lied ahead, whatever villains they had to face, whatever pain they were destined to feel… it was a million miles away in that moment. 

That moment was theirs and theirs alone.

A moment that was engraved upon their hearts. 

The moment they found eachother. 

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN** **  
** **END**


End file.
